From foal to Olympic champion: celebrating Valegro’s stellar career on his 21st birthday

When it comes to celebrating a legendary horse like Valegro, whose 21st birthday it is today (5 July, 2023), where do you start? With so many medals, titles and records, it’s hard to keep track.

So join us as we look back at some of his career highlights in pictures…

1. Small beginnings: Valegro as a foal with his dam Maifleur

2. Charlotte Dujardin and a young Valegro impress at the British Dressage National Championships in 2008

3. Valegro’s early top hat days: at Addington Area Festival in 2009

4. In action at the British Dressage National Championships in 2010

5. Delighting the Olympia crowd in 2011

6. Gold medal moments: taking centre stage at London 2012

7. The home crowd give the pair a warm welcome in Greenwich Park at the London Olympics

8. Wowing the Olympia spectators with their freestyle in 2012

9. The medals keep coming: the pair take home individual gold at the Europeans in Denmark in 2013

10. “I had the ride of my life”: Charlotte and Valegro score 93.975% in an outstanding freestyle performance that sees them set a new world record at Olympia in 2013

11. Record breakers: the golden duo beat their own world record for the grand prix freestyle, with a score of 94.3% at Olympia in 2014

12. The pair bring home the individual gold medal from Rio in 2016

13. Valegro retires from competition at Olympia in 2016

14. Valegro meeting The late Queen with Carl Hester at Royal Windsor in 2019

15. Valegro with Charlotte, her fiancé Dean and baby daughter Isabella in 2023

You might also be interested in:

*Exclusive* Charlotte Dujardin on how motherhood has changed her outlook as a competitor – ‘it’s really opened my eyes’

‘The biggest mover I’ve ever sat on’: massive personal bests for Brits in Aachen bodes well for European Championships

‘A real one for Paris’: Aachen grand prix result boosts Charlotte Dujardin’s Olympic hopes

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Gemma Redrup

H&H features, racing and point-to-point editor

Gemma is an experienced journalist, having been part of the H&H team since 2014, who is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting talents have taken her to numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.