Dujardin No. 1 in World Ranking

By Staff Report September 14, 2012

Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and the 10-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding Valegro, double Olympic gold medalists at London 2012, have taken over as world number one in the FEI World Individual Dressage Rankings and are the first British combination ever to top the world rankings.

With 2,867 points, the combination have moved up from second place to claim the top spot, 107 points clear of former world number one and London silver medalists Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) and Jerich Parzival, the Dutch pair that have led the rankings since July 2011.

The British combination moved up from second in the rankings, where they sat just prior to the Olympic Dressage Grand Prix on Aug. 2, and it was their performances at the London Games that boosted them to the top. Since then, it was announced that Valegro is for sale, a circumstance Dujardin, who does not own the horse, described as “heartbreaking.”

The 27-year-old Dujardin and Valegro led the British to a historic Olympic team gold in London’s Greenwich Park arena and then came out to produce an unforgettable Grand Prix Freestyle, performing to music from The Great Escape and the James Bond film Live And Let Die for the winning mark of 90.089. Dujardin, who competed in her first grand prix only last year, has been teamed up with Valegro since she joined team-mate Carl Hester’s stable as a groom in 2007.

The British press is abuzz with reports as to who might buy the horse and for how much, with prices between US$20-30 million being tossed around. Trainer and part-owner Carl Hester has denied rumors that Valegro has been sold to “Arabian royals,” or a buyer from Spain. “Carl reposted that there is ‘Not an Arab or Spanish in sight,’” Eurodressage.com reported on Sept. 13. Hester’s own Olympic mount, Uthopia, is also for sale.

“It is fantastic to see Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro leading the Dressage Rankings after their incredible performance in Greenwich Park,” FEI director of dressage and para-equestrian dressage Trond Asmyr said.

“The pair have been key to helping Great Britain re-write Dressage history and have highlighted the fact that the sport is in an exciting period of change, with lots of new faces now in the mix. Charlotte’s natural talent and her partnership with the hugely successful Carl Hester mean that she is a valuable driving force for future generations of Dressage riders.”

Germany continues to dominate the FEI World Individual Dressage Ranking, with another Olympian pair, Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill NRW, now the highest-placed of the five German pairs occupying slots in the coveted top ten 10. With 2,626 points, they have taken third place from Great Britain’s London bronze medallists Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris, who are now in fourth with 2,591 points.

Biggest movers in the latest FEI World Individual Dressage Rankings are Steffen Peters (USA) and Ravel, who have moved up from 192nd to 16^th.  Ravel was retired immediately following the Olympic Games. Also Edward Gal (NED) and Glock’s Undercover, who have gone up from 198th place to 17th.

 

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