‘I couldn’t be happier’: Charlotte Dujardin storms to grand prix victory at the National Championships
Charlotte Dujardin topped the grand prix at the National Championships with a new personal best on Brave Heart II; the overall title is up for grabs tomorrow
Charlotte Dujardin claimed the LeMieux grand prix in some style at the 2026 National Dressage Championships, riding Ellie McCarthy’s Brave Heart II to a personal best – if pick-your-own tests are excluded – of 75.04%, more than five percentage points clear of the rest of the field.
Gareth Hughes took second on Mowgli-Olympia MC (70.46%), with Fiona Bigwood third on Donna Bella (70%).
“I haven’t had him that long, I think I’ve done about six or seven shows now, so not a great deal,” Charlotte said. “At home, he’s always felt really impressive, really exciting to go, and then I get to a show, and he goes into himself a bit – he goes a little shy on me.
“It’s just been about building his confidence to grow into himself and be a performer. Today, as I went through the test, it got bigger and better, and I feel like he’s getting better and better every show we do."
The LeMieux Arena is notoriously tricky, with stands close on both sides and wind whipping through all the bits not strapped down, but Charlotte said the 12-year-old gelding took it in his stride: “It’s a tricky arena – in the warm-up you’ve got the stands with people sat behind you and you can hear them getting up and down, which makes them a little tense.
“Then when you go in, there’s lots of flapping, everything’s quite close. But he doesn’t look at anything – I didn’t even do the arena walk – he just went in and gave it a good go. I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Heading into this summer’s World Championships, Charlotte and Brave Heart II were locked in a tight race with Fiona and Donna Bella for the fourth and final British team spot for Aachen.
A stunning double at Hartpury in July – personal bests in both the grand prix and special – swung Charlotte’s international grand prix average ahead of Fiona’s, with just a fraction of a percentage point separating them. In the end, though, it was Fiona and Donna Bella who got the selectors’ call, going on to win team silver.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“He was so, so close to selection,” Charlotte said. “I just needed a few more runs, and then I think, for sure, he would’ve been there. But it was what it was – how could I be disappointed? I felt like I’d done everything there was to do. There will always be another time.”
Charlotte Dujardin on her national championships winner’s future
Brave Heart’s future with Charlotte beyond this season isn’t fully settled: “I think potentially he might be one that Ellie either rides herself or sells. I only ever had him for a bit, I never really expected to keep him this long. But he gets better and better each show, and he almost needs to just keep going now.”
The win puts Charlotte in pole position heading into tomorrow’s freestyle, where the overall national champion title will be decided on the combination of grand prix and freestyle scores.
Charlotte, though, was characteristically unfussed about the prospect: “I don’t even think about it. I wouldn’t even know [how many titles I have] – I never really count.”
For the record, she’s been crowned national champion twice before – in 2015 on Barolo, and in 2020 on Mount St John Freestyle.
Asked what fuels her famous competitiveness if not the titles, she said: “I don’t compare myself to anybody – I just do my own thing. My goal is to beat myself – always asking what I did in that competition, what I could have done better, what I need to go away and work on.
“My mindset is to always become better, try and be a better version of myself throughout. I am very, very competitive, though.”
That drive extends beyond her competition rides, too – she lit up just as much talking about her up-and-coming star Secret Agent, and his progress at home: “I literally got 12 ones on him yesterday, so I was super happy.”
Final grand prix results:
- Charlotte Dujardin – Braveheart II (75.04%)
- Gareth Hughes – Mowgli-Olympia MC (70.46%)
- Fiona Bigwood – Donna Bella (70%)
- Ruby Hughes – Farrell (69.59%)
- Alexander Harrison-West – Kickback (68.17%)
- Olivia Oakeley – Full House (67.33%)
- Spencer Wilton – Woodcroft Django Mon Ami (66.57%)
- Kimberley Siddorn – Dutch Class (66.44%)
- Laura Tomlinson – Forest Hill (65.52%)
- Daniel Bremner – Houston V (64.89%)
- Daniel Sherriff – I’m Bayford Hall Incognito (64.87%)
- Darren Hicks – Tramontana Tiger Feet (64.8%)
- Tom Goode – Furstenrausch PS (64.74%)
- Anne-Marie Cowan – Woodcroft Royal Charter (63.98%)
- Laura Tomlinson – Full Moon II (63.5%)
- Matt Frost – Kerouac (63.37%)
- Jonny Clarke-West – Goomong Zinfandel (63.02%)
- Alice Oppenheimer – Headmore Bella Ruby (62.61%)
- Greg Sims – Waverley Fellini (61.74%)
- Becky Edwards – Dita Von Teese (60.74%)
- To stay up to date with the latest news and reports throughout the LeMieux National Dressage Championships, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website and pick up a copy of Horse & Hound magazine, in shops from Thursday 17 September
Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).