‘You have one life – why not put a hat on?’: Charlotte Dujardin on opting for a helmet at Tokyo Olympics trot-up

There were many highlights of the Tokyo Olympics dressage trot-up on Friday (23 July), but many eagle-eyed individuals spotted that Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin was among just a handful of riders to wear a helmet for it.

Charlotte’s Olympic horse Gio is not known for being difficult on the ground – and behaved impeccably throughout the trot-up – but Charlotte was, nonetheless, taking no chances when it came to safety, pairing her riding hat with gloves and the rest of the sporty Team GB ensemble.

“I think it should be a rule [to wear helmets in trot-ups],” said Charlotte. “I see all these crazy horses and it’s so dangerous. I was in Rio when Cosmo reared up and hit the groom on the head, and I will never forget that sound until the day I die.

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Article written by: Polly Bryan