Hall of Five Star Fame

We present some of the famous faces, both equine and human, who’ve gone on to greatness following success at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships

Reigning World Champion Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Fry enjoyed something of a breakthrough season as a youth rider in 2014, opening a stellar year with a victory in the Magic Prix St Georges Championships.

It was with Leslie Connor’s 16 year old Dutch bred Flemmingh son Remming, that Lottie secured an emphatic win at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships in 2014 in front of a packed Hartpury College crowd enjoying an evening of dressage action.

The year before, Lottie and Remming had achieved a win at Advanced Medium level, but stepped up to Small Tour competition alongside competing in her final year at FEI Junior level. The then-18 year old Lottie produced a performance brimming with confidence, riding the familiar and dramatic music used by her late mother Laura when she was at Remming’s reins. The technical content included challenging lines of tempi changes and a bold final centre line of extended canter to halt. At the end of her test Lottie sported her trademark smile, praising the ever-brilliant Remming to loud applause from the crowd. The judges panel, Susanne Baarup (E), Freddy Leyman (C) and Lizzie Murray (M), rewarded 73.53% to give the combination the title.

The same year, Lottie would go on to achieve tenth place in the freestyle to music final at the FEI Junior European Championships, this time on board Z Flemmenco. Shortly after, she made the move to Van Olst Horses in Den Hout and the rest is history. Lottie holds the FEI World Championship title with Van Olst Horses Glamourdale, was a member of the bronze medal winning team at Tokyo 2020 fellow Van Olst stallion Everdale, and achieved the FEI Under 25 European Champion title on her way to senior stardom.

Fellow Tokyo 2020 team star and recent ride of Carl Hester, En Vogue, placed at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships under Charlotte Dujardin on his route to the top.

Carl Hester, Charlotte Dujardin and Sandra Biddlecome’s Jazz-sired En Vogue was produced steadily through the sport and recorded a first major placing at the NAF Five Star Winter Championships in 2017.

Charlotte Dujardin produced and showed the tall gelding in his early years, and his test at Hartpury was just his seventh affiliated start. The then eight year old showed much promise in his Advanced Medium Gold appearance, scoring 72.15% to place as runner up behind Charlotte’s winning ride Florentina.

After her ride on En Vogue Charlotte commented; “When I came out of the arena, I was quite emotional. It’s been quite a challenging journey with him. When we broke him at three, he bucked a saddle clean off and when it came to teaching him changes, he just threw himself on the floor. He’s a horse that crying out to do Grand Prix and I’m so excited for his future. In the arena, I could feel his heart beating but he really tried. I’ve been really careful to not put him under pressure and build confidence but only going out to small local shows and he just gets better and better. Flora was born with the perfect attitude but him, I’m going to have to teach it.”

Teach him she did, alongside the outstanding tutilage of Carl Hester, who would later take the reins of En Vogue with great success. Their spell at the top of the sport resulted in Tokyo 2020 team bronze and individual eigth in the freestyle finale, a memorable watch for those of us supporting from home.