Charlotte Dujardin scored her second title of the 2021 Lemieux National Dressage Championships when topping the Saracen Horse Feeds inter I riding Imhotep.
Charlotte and the eight-year-old Everdale son had already been crowned the Fairfax Saddles prix st georges champions at the National Dressage Championships and they now add inter I honours to their growing tally, having scored 74.03% to finish ahead of Lucinda Elliott and Hawtins Duchessa in second.
“Pete” is owned by Coral Ingram and Carl Hester, and is described by Charlotte as being “incredible” to ride.
Charlotte admitted that she was kicking herself for “a couple of rider errors” in today’s test, including riding a two-time change in the middle of her threes, but reported that Pete felt “wonderful”.
“He’s still quite green at the inter I and he hasn’t done a great deal of shows, so he has dealt with everything so well here. He just goes in and does his job, never gets tired and keeps going,” she said.
“I’m so, so excited for him; we’ll do grand prix and inter II with him next year and see where it goes,” she added.
Charlotte explains that Pete has inherited many of the same qualities that make his sire, Lottie Fry’s Olympic and European medallist Everdale, such a formidable force at the very top of the sport.
“Having been with Everdale this year at the Olympics and the Europeans, there are so any similarities. The energy is never ending, the springiness, the bounce. Pete already has the piaffe-passage and he springs from one to the other, just like Everdale. He’s unbelievable to ride; in extended canter I feel like I’m going so much bigger and faster than I am – everything with him just feels so big,” Charlotte enthused. “I’ve just got to make sure Carl doesn’t steal him now!”
It’s been a whirlwind summer for Charlotte having won three titles at the postponed Winter Dressage Championships in July, followed by winning team and individual bronze at the Tokyo Olympics later that month with Gio. September so far has seen her winning team silver and individual bronze at the European Championships, again with Gio, and now multiple national titles here at Somerford Park.
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