Charlotte Dujardin Rides Gio to Victory in Debut International Grand Prix Freestyle at Keysoe CDI3*

KEYSOE, England, Oct. 10, 2020–Charlotte Dujardin rode Gio, the horse she found at a California master class four years ago, to the pair’s first victory in their debut CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle Saturday night on a score that was higher than the first musical performance by Valegro 11 years ago.

Charlotte and the nine-year-old KWPN gelding scored 83.360% for the win, a day after placing second to Charlotte and Mount St. John Freestyle in the Grand Prix. Earlier Saturday, Charlotte and Freestyle, won the Grand Prix Special (see report http://dressage-news.com/2020/10/10/charlotte-dujardin-freestyle-win-keysoe-cdi3-grand-prix-special-on-another-personal-best-score/).

Scores for Charlotte and Gio, nicknamed Pumpkin for his bright orange color, ranged from a high of 84.500% to a low of 82.125%.

The first Big Tour Freestyle result for Valegro, that Charlotte rode to 2012 Olympic team and individual gold medals and 2016 team silver and individual gold, was 79.357% in the 2011 European Championships. At the London Olympia Christmas show four months later, the pair scored 83.700% in the Freestyle. Four years after Valegro’s retirement, the records the duo set in the Freestyle, 94.300% as well as for the Grand Prix and the Special remain unbroken.

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