Hester’s plans for Valegro and the Olympics

We haven’t seen them for a while – dressage queen Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) and her once in a lifetime partner Valegro. After winning the FEI European Championships in Aachen last year, appearances of the pair were rather limited.

Trainer and joint owner Carl Hester now revealed his plans for Charlotte and Valegro in the light of the Olympics in Rio.

The now 14-year old Valegro should compete three times on the international stage before the Olympics, the first show being in April. Hester did not make his choice of shows official yet. The final show before Rio is going to be the Nations Cup in Rotterdam (June 22-26, 2016).

Valegro will not enter the show ring at the World Cup Finals in Gothenburg (March 24-28, 2016). Charlotte, reigning winner of the Olympics, World Championships and European Championships, will ride Uthopia instead.

„It will be a nice change,“ Hester says, „not having the pressure of being expected to win all the time. It’s a nicer situation for Charlotte.“

New freestyle for Rio
Carl Hester disclosed that the team is working on a new freestyle for Charlotte and Valegro. The new freestyle will premiere at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May. The current freestyle is already well known, not only for the music. „I don’t quite know how to top that. I need some serious brain food inside me,“ Carl has to admit.

The question whether Rio will be Valegro’s last Championships and if he will be retired from sports at the London International Horse show in December, was again not answered definitely.

Source: dressage-news.com

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