Charlotte Dujardin's Olympic Winning Horse Valegro Passes Away at 23
In a heart-wrenching post on Instagram, British dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin has announced the passing of her beloved horse, Valegro. The 40-year-old horse was the most decorated dressage horse in British history under Dujardin and won three Olympic gold medals with her.
Valegro's impressive career came to an end at the age of 23, marking a significant loss for the equestrian community. Dujardin paid tribute to her loyal partner, describing their partnership as "a dance" that she couldn't have experienced without. The pair won numerous accolades, including two gold medals at the World Equestrian Games and six golds at the European Dressage Championships.
The news of Valegro's passing comes after a controversy surrounding Dujardin's behavior in the saddle. She was banned from the sport for a year in December 2024 following an investigation into a video that showed her "excessively" whipping a horse.
Dujardin shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, which included the phrase "we danced Blueberry, didn't we dance..." Valegro's stable-mate Uthopia has also been put down at the age of 24, reportedly due to health complications. Carl Hester, who rode Uthopia and was part of Britain's gold medal-winning dressage team at the 2012 Olympics, described the pair as having "given our sport a golden era."
The loss of Valegro is a significant blow to the equestrian community, with many paying tribute to her impressive career and dedication. As Dujardin continues to navigate her post-rider life, it's clear that her legacy with Valegro will live on forever.
In a heart-wrenching post on Instagram, British dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin has announced the passing of her beloved horse, Valegro. The 40-year-old horse was the most decorated dressage horse in British history under Dujardin and won three Olympic gold medals with her.
Valegro's impressive career came to an end at the age of 23, marking a significant loss for the equestrian community. Dujardin paid tribute to her loyal partner, describing their partnership as "a dance" that she couldn't have experienced without. The pair won numerous accolades, including two gold medals at the World Equestrian Games and six golds at the European Dressage Championships.
The news of Valegro's passing comes after a controversy surrounding Dujardin's behavior in the saddle. She was banned from the sport for a year in December 2024 following an investigation into a video that showed her "excessively" whipping a horse.
Dujardin shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, which included the phrase "we danced Blueberry, didn't we dance..." Valegro's stable-mate Uthopia has also been put down at the age of 24, reportedly due to health complications. Carl Hester, who rode Uthopia and was part of Britain's gold medal-winning dressage team at the 2012 Olympics, described the pair as having "given our sport a golden era."
The loss of Valegro is a significant blow to the equestrian community, with many paying tribute to her impressive career and dedication. As Dujardin continues to navigate her post-rider life, it's clear that her legacy with Valegro will live on forever.
i feel so bad for Charlotte Dujardin she was so lucky to have such an amazing partnership with Valegro 
she's always been my idol in the dressage world and now she's just lost her best mate 
Carl Hester said they gave the sport a golden era... I know what he means, their partnership was truly magical 
rest in peace Valegro you'll never be forgotten 
anyway, cant help but feel a bit sad for charlotte right now 
i remember watching those olympic vids with my friends and we were all cheering her on 
but that incident in 2024 was super worrying 
glad to hear it didn't affect charlotte too much though 
and poor Uthopia 
i'm gonna miss valegro so much, she was more than just a horse to charlotte 
i remember when valegro won olympic gold medals, it was such a proud moment for the british team 
and now she's gone? it's just not right 
and i'm sure charlotte will always cherish the memories of their time together 
), but Valegro will always be in her heart 
. RIP Valegro 
. I wonder if they'll ever invent a horse that can do a decent selfie 
...
he won like so many medals and he was so talented 
its crazy that he passed away at 23 tho that is really young for a horse 
... anyway, I'm sure Valegro will always be remembered as an amazing horse and partner to Charlotte 
and now she's gone? it feels like the spotlight is all over charlotte dujardin right now 
at least they got to ride together for so long, that's something special 
... can't imagine equestrian world without her 
... now uthopia's gone too 
