Charlotte Dujardin has won her first national title since her return to competition, winning the Horselight medium gold at the NAF Five Star Winter Dressage Championships (15–19 April) with the seven-year-old Secret Agent (Secret x De Niro).
Charlotte and the stallion, whom she co-owns with Peter Belshaw, scored 77.87%, the highest mark of the non-freestyle classes of the championships.
Only five competitive outings since 2024, combined with 97% scores at four- and five-year-old level, had built an air of mystery around the stallion. The grandstands and ringside were full in anticipation.
Charlotte was unequivocal. “I think he’s one of the best horses I’ve ever ridden,” she said. “Everything becomes so natural for him. He’s incredible to ride – so much power, so elastic, and built to do what he does.”
Secret Agent is a striking athlete, with massive power in the extensions – for which he picked up several nines – and suspension in the trot. But what pleased Charlotte most was how he handled a high-pressure setting with so little competitive experience.
“He’s a very green horse,” she said. “He’s done a couple of medium tests to qualify. He’s literally come in and gone straight to medium; he’s that talented.
“I didn’t do an arena walk at regionals because he’s a stallion – and you just never know what you’re going to get. But I thought, I’ve got to give him a bit more of a chance here, so I made sure I did one.”
Secret Agent handled the atmosphere with maturity. “Although he’s still a bit nervous with people moving in the stands, he still gives the most incredible feeling,” Charlotte said.
“For a young horse, it’s our job to help them grow and give them new experiences, and while for any green horse a competition like today can be a little daunting, he stayed with me. He’s amazing in that sense – he never lets me down.”
A stallion who is so biddable, Charlotte noted, is a rare thing. “It’s a great feeling to have a stallion who’s that with you.
“They can be tricky sometimes – their minds aren’t always on the job. But he just gets it. He’s learning about it all still, but he’s doing really well.”
Charlotte Dujardin: “There’s so much more to come”
Charlotte received a big reception from the crowd after her test. Her first championship title back came with a clear sense of perspective. “I absolutely love it,” she said of competing. “To ride today, to ride on him – it’s what you do it for.”
“He’s such a special horse. My score didn’t matter to me. For him, for me, that test was brilliant. He’s done his absolute best given how little he’s done.”
The future, she added, is already taking shape. “There’s so much more to come. He’s only seven. You put him in the balance, and it’s just all there. The future for him is very, very exciting.”
Secret Agent is part of a wider string of talent Charlotte is bringing on. “I’ve got lots of young ones coming through – good young ones that I’m hoping to get out more soon.”
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