Dujardin warms up for Games (From Ledbury Reporter)

Dujardin warms up for Games

3:10pm Sunday 15th July 2012 in Sport

NEWENT dressage star Charlotte Dujardin achieved another landmark feat just three weeks before London 2012.

Barely two months after breaking the Grand Prix special world record with her Olympics horse Valegro, she became the first British rider to break the 90 per cent barrier for a freestyle routine in international competition.

Dujardin thrilled at the Hartpury International Festival of Dressage in Gloucestershire.

Giving her Olympic freestyle to music routine, composed by Tom Hunt, a run before the Games, she was awarded 90.65.

It smashed the previous British record held by Laura Bechtolsheimer, the third member of Britain’s London team, and confirmed 25-yearold Dujardin as a major gold medal contender.

She won the class by a staggering margin of almost 15 per cent, captivating the judges with four of the fivestrong panel awarding artistic marks of more than 93.