23/12/2025
Charlotte Dujardin Charlotte Dujardin makes an emotional return to International Dressage at London International Horse Show.
A 'Very emotional' Charlotte Dujardin returned to top level dressage yesterday as she rode the aptly named "Alive & Kicking" at London International Horse Show.
Charlotte Dujardin who has just had her second baby received a lovely warm reception from the London crowd in Docklands as the triple Olympic Dressage Champion competed in her highest profile competition test since returning to the sport after being banned by the FEI over a horse-whipping scandal.
Charlotte Dujardin had been applauded by the British crowd when competing in the first part of a two-day Dressage World Cup, which formed part of the London International Horse Show at the Excel Centre.
Charlotte waved to the crowd after completing the Grand Prix test on 'Alive and Kicking' and ended the first day of competition in a very credible second place.
Dujardin spoke to the press after her test and she thanked the support of the crowd and said that they had left her feeling 'very emotional' and that the day had been a 'real buzz' to be back in the saddle and also to be competing at the highest level.
'Just going back in that arena, there is something so special about riding here, it is incredibly special,' Charlotte Dujardin said.
Charlotte went on to say to the press 'Going around the edge of the arena and having so many people shout โgo on Charlotte, it was very emotional"
When talking about her test yesterday with Alive and Kicking Charlotte said: "She did her best, there is still so much more to come but on the whole I canโt ask for more.'
Charlotte Dujardin has actually been free to compete in FEI Events since July having served a one-year ban from the sport.
Charlotte made an instant return to competition in July when her ban came to an end, competing in Cirencester. She has since featured in international events, winning in Le Mans in October and finishing as the runner-up in Kronenberg.
These 2025 competitions have helped Dujardin qualify for the World Cup in London (where she competed yesterday with Alive and Kicking), her biggest event since returning from the ban.
Charlotte actually co-owns Alive and Kicking with fellow British rider & trainer Carl Hester and the Austrian horse investor Ulrike Bachinger.
The British rider demonstrated the she remains one of the sport's top performers, receiving a score of 76.544 to lead in the early stages of the event.
Charlotte's impressive score was only beaten by her Team GBR fellow rider Charlotte Fry, who won last year's World Cup event in London, scoring 80.783 on the Paris Olympic stallion Glamourdale.
'I am absolutely overwhelmed, going in there today Audrey has done one show this year in Le Mans, she has never been in an atmosphere this big, there is so much going on,' Charlotte went on to say to the press.
'She is a very inexperienced Grand Prix horse prior to this, it was a really big ask coming here.'
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