Charlotte Dujardin: World Number One

London 2012 left the world in no doubt as to the brilliance of Charlotte Dujardin and the wonder horse Valegro, but now FEI has confirmed her status at the top of the sport with her sitting on top of the world individual ranking - the first British combination ever to do so.

Charlotte and Valegro at London 2012 (image: telegraph.co.uk)

The latest rankings put her 107 points ahead of Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival, who of course came second in the individual in London. Other Brits in the list include Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris in fourth, Carl Hester and Uthopia in 18th, and Team GB's individual pairing, Richard Davison and Artemis in 22nd. Other Brits such as Emile Faurie, Michael Eilberg (more than once) and Emma Hindle also feature in the list.



This news continues to add to what has been heralded as a new era in British dressage. With brilliant young riders such as Charlotte and Laura, and the eminent presence of the superb Carl Hester who appears to be as good a trainer and mentor as he is a rider, things look as if the rise of this sport in our country will only continue. Although the news that Valegro and Uthopia may well be sold is a blow, their current riders are talented and dedicated enough to not be without a top ride for too long.

There is, of course, top young horses such as Woodlander Farouche (ridden by Michael Eilberg) coming up through the ranks, and with the Olympics encouraging more people than ever to turn to the intricate, fascinating sport of dressage, it seems that these golden days are here to stay...

Michael Eilberg and Woodlander Farouche (image: horseandhound.co.uk)