After last night’s incredible dressage team Grand Prix Special, Great Britain should be proud of themselves. Carl Hester, Charlotte Fry and Charlotte Dujardin registered tremendous performances but suffered an upset. Although she ended up with bronze, Charlotte Dujardin received a hearty congratulations from the British Royal Family.
A royal congratulations for Charlotte Dujardin
With her bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Charlotte Dujardin becomes the most decorated British female Olympian. She joins tennis and badminton legend Kathleen McKane Godfree and rowing legend Dame Katherine Grainger on five medals. However, with three gold, one silver and a bronze, Dujardin stakes her claim as a stalwart of the sport.
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She’s always been a stalwart of the sport, and she proved it with her performance yesterday. The US team’s Sabine Schut-Kery registered a staggering score of 81.596%, which took the Americans too far for Dujardin to catch. Despite the gap, she and Gio put their best foot and hoof forward and secured a 79.544% and a bronze medal.
Congratulations to @CSJDujardin on becoming the most decorated British female Olympian of all time. Fantastic achievement 👏 #TeamGB #Tokyo2020
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) July 27, 2021
With her performance, the Great Britain dressage team sat at 7723 points. A gap of 24 points separated them from the US team, but the bronze medal still cemented Dujardin’s place amongst equestrian’s greatest athletes. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge congratulated Dujardin on her achievement, and must’ve surely made her day.
https://twitter.com/TeamGB/status/1420014985380573190
However, Dujardin cannot celebrate her bronze medal for too long as she returns for the individual dressage Grand Prix Special. Qualifying with a brilliant 80.963%, Dujardin is one favorite to end up on the podium for two consecutive days.
Can Dujardin overcome her greatest rival in the individual finals?
At the individual qualifiers, we witnessed a startling battle between two of the greatest in equestrian. Germany’s Isabell Werth, the world #1 dressage rider faced off against Dujardin, the Rio 2016 and London 2012 gold medalist. In dressage’s ‘Group of Death’ they battled while USA’s Steffen Peters also bared his fangs.
However, both Dujardin and Werth registered remarkable performances that took their nations to the finals. But their rivalry hasn’t ended as they will meet in the individual finals to determine who will clinch gold. With this win, Dujardin can rise above Dame Katherine Grainger and?Kathleen McKane Godfree and keep the record for herself.
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However, Werth outperformed and outscored twice at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Does Dujardin have what it takes, or will we see an eighth Olympic gold medal for Isabell Werth?