Valegro

Valegro (born 5 July 2002) is a gelding ridden by the British equestrian Charlotte Dujardin in the sport of dressage. He stands 16.2hh and has the stable name of Blueberry. He is a double World Champion in Dressage, he won Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle at the World Equestrian Games in 2014.[1]

Valegro
With Charlotte Dujardin at the 2012 Olympics
BreedDutch Warmblood
SireNegro
GrandsireFerro
DamMaifleur
Maternal grandsireGershwin
SexGelding
Foaled2002
CountryNetherlands
ColourDark Bay
OwnerCarl Hester Rowena Luard Anne Barrott
TrainerCarl Hester
RiderCharlotte Dujardin
Record
Grand Prix world record, Grand Prix Special world record, Grand Prix Freestyle world record
Major wins
Olympic Individual Gold Brazil 2016 ,Olympic Team Gold London 2012; Olympic Individual Gold London 2012; European Team Bronze Herning 2013; European Individual Gold Grand Prix Special Herning 2013; European Individual Gold Grand Prix Freestyle Herning 2013; FEI Reem Acra World Cup Dressage Lyon 2014; Team Silver World Equestrian Games Normandy 2014; Individual Gold Grand Prix Special World Equestrian Games Normandy 2014; Individual Gold Grand Prix Freestyle World Equestrian Games Normandy 2014; Winner of the FEI Reem Acra World Cup Dressage Las Vegas 2015; European Team Silver Aachen 2015; European Individual Gold Grand Prix Special Aachen 2015; European Individual Gold Grand Prix Freestyle Aachen 2015
Olympic medal record
Equestrian
2012 London Team dressage
2012 London Individual dressage
2016 Rio de Janeiro Individual dressage
2016 Rio de Janeiro Team dressage

Career

Having joined Carl Hester's stable in Newent, Gloucestershire as a groom, Dujardin was offered the opportunity to develop the novice Dutch Warmblood gelding by Hester and co-owner Roly Luard, with the later intention of the horse being ridden in competition by Hester.[2]

Valegro remained unbeaten since CDI Kapellen in January 2012.[3]

The combination became part of the team which won gold in a European Dressage Championships event in Rotterdam. They then won the FEI World Cup grand prix at London Olympia in 2011, setting a world record for the Olympic grand prix special discipline scoring 88.022%, in April 2012.[4][5][6]

Selected to represent Great Britain in the 2012 Summer Olympics,[7] in the first round they set a new Olympic record of 83.784%.[8] On 7 August 2012 the pair were members of the team which won the gold medal in the team dressage event.[9] Two days later they won the gold in the individual dressage event with a score of 90.089%.[10][11]

At the 2013 European Championships in Herning, Charlotte and Valegro won both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special with 85.94% and 85.69%.[12]

At Olympia 2013 he beat the Grand Prix Freestyle world record (by around 2%) he set the new record to 93.975% (the record was previously held by Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas). At Olympia 2014 he improved his own Grand Prix Freestyle world record (94.3%) and his own Grand Prix world record (87.46%).

Valegro also achieved a Gold medal in the individual dressage at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with a score of 93.857%, and was an integral part of the Silver medal winning Team for Great Britain, at the same event. In 2016 Breyer released a model of Valegro.[13]

Retirement

On 14 December 2016, Valegro and Charlotte Dujardin marked his retirement from competition with a performance given at the London International Horse Show 2016 and televised live by the BBC.[14] It was followed by a farewell ceremony with Valegro's owners, and companions Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Alan Davies.[15]

Breeding

Valegro is sired by the legendary KWPN stallion Negro, by Olympic Ferro.

Furioso II is his great great damsire.[16]

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References
  1. "Carl Hester.co.uk Carl's Horses". Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  2. "Equestrian: 'Unlikely winner' Charlotte Dujardin celebrates double gold". The Independent. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  3. "British Dressage". www.britishdressage.co.uk.
  4. "Charlotte Dujardin triumphs in FEI World Cup grand prix". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  5. "London 2012: Charlotte Dujardin breaks dressage world record". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  6. "Dujardin and Valegro take 2012CDA Hagen Grand Prix for special by storm". www.eurodressage.com. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  7. "London 2012: Dressage riders Bechtolsheimer and Dujardin selected for Team GB". www.sportsister.com. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  8. "London 2012: Charlotte Dujardin breaks Olympic dressage record". The Guardian
  9. "Olympics equestrian: 20 gold medals for GB with dressage win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  10. "Olympics equestrian: Charlotte Dujardin wins second dressage gold". BBC Sport. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  11. "London Olympics: Dujardin wins individual dressage gold". Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  12. "British Dressage". www.britishdressage.co.uk.
  13. Buy Valegro at Olympia Horse Show
  14. Horse & Hound, 30 November 2016
  15. Carl Hester Does The Double As Valegro Retires In Style, Dec. 15, 2016
  16. Michelson, Miles. "Valegro Kwpn". www.allbreedpedigree.com.
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