Tokyo Olympics

BRONZE BRILLIANCE

IT WAS A GAMES LIKE NO OTHER FOR SO MANY REASONS, BUT OUR RIDERS, HORSES, GROOMS, OWNERS AND SUPPORT TEAM OVERCAME THE CHALLENGES TO RETURN HOME FROM TOKYO WITH TWO BRONZE MEDALS TO THEIR CREDIT. THE TEAM BATTLED HARD WITH THE USA TO MISS SECOND PLACE BY LESS THAN ONE PERCENT WHILE THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME ON GIO GAVE CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN INDIVIDUAL BRONZE AND A PLACE IN THE HISTORY BOOKS.

LEFT: FEW OLYMPIC DEBUTANTES HAVE MADE SUCH AN IMPACT: LOTTIE FRY AND EVERDALE CAPTIVATE UNDER THE LIGHTS. RIGHT: A BRONZE MEDAL NEVER MEANT MORE - PROOF THAT THE THE DECISION TO TAKE A YOUNG HORSE WAS A GOOD ONE PLUS A PLACE IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS BRITAIN’S MOST DECORATED FEMALE OLYMPIAN.

ABOVE: THE RIDERS ARE JOINED BY GROOMS STEPH SHARPLES, STEVEN CALEY, ALAN DAVIES AND LUCY SCUDAMORE WITH PERFORMANCE MANAGER CAROLINE GRIFFITH FRONT AND CENTRE.

ABOVE:

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY YOU SEE DRESSAGE RIDERS TROTTING UP IN TRACKSUITS BUT THIS IS THE OLYMPICS! TRAVELLING RESERVES GARETH HUGHES AND SINTANO VAN HOF OLYMPIA MAKE ANYTHING LOOK STYLISH. LEFT: THE POCKET ROCKET WITH A HEART THE SIZE OF THE MOON: GIO GAVE HIS ALL FOR CHARLOTTE AND AT JUST 10 POSTED THREE 80%-PLUS SCORES IN ONLY HIS THIRD INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION. BELOW: THIS IS WHAT 78.34% AT AN OLYMPIC GAMES FEELS LIKE! CARL HESTER AND EN VOGUE, OWNED BY CHARLOTTE, LADY EVANS AND SANDRA BIDDLECOME, FIND THEIR MOJO IN THE SPECIAL TO PUT TEAM GB ON COURSE FOR A MEDAL.

RIGHT: GARETH MAY HAVE HAD THE MOST DIFFICULT TASK AS RESERVE BUT HE WAS THE PERFECT TEAM MATE...AND ALWAYS FULL OF ENERGY! THANKS TO OWNER JUDY FIRMSTON-WILLIAMS AND TEAM HUGHES FOR YOUR AMAZING SUPPORT. BELOW: IT TAKES A VILLAGE: THE TEAM BEHIND THE RIDERS AND HORSES IS A WELL-OILED MACHINE AND THE RIDERS SAY THE MEDALS BELONG TO ALL WHO GET THEM INTO THE ARENA.

ABOVE: HE MAY HAVE BEEN TEAM GB’S OLDEST MEMBER BUT TOKYO WAS ONE OF HIS FINEST GAMES, CARL HESTER WE SALUTE YOU! LEFT: CHARLOTTE AND ‘PUMPKIN’ AT THE TROT UP - AN ADVOCATE FOR SAFETY, CHARLOTTE CHOSE TO WEAR HER PATRIOTIC HAT AND PUT THE MESSAGE ‘ONE HEAD, ONE LIFE’ ON SOCIALS.

ABOVE: ANNE VAN OLST SHARES A MOMENT OF REFLECTION WITH LOTTIE AFTER A JOB WELL DONE. RIGHT: THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM CONGRATULATE CHARLOTTE AND GIO, WHO SHE CO-OWNS WITH CARL HESTER AND RENAI HART, ON THEIR HISTORIC BRONZE.

LEFT: CHARLOTTE UPSET THE GERMAN CLEAN SWEEP BUT WAS QUICK TO CONGRATULATE JESSICA VON BREDOW-WERNDL ON HER GOLD AND ISABELL WERTH ON A SILVER WHICH MAKES HER GERMANY’S MOST DECORATED OLYMPIAN OF ALL TIME. BELOW: GIO SHOWS THE POWER AND SCOPE WHICH IMPRESSED THE JUDGES...AND THE PHOTO CORPS WATCHING ON.