Royal Windsor Horse Show visitors are in for a treat as dressage legends Charlotte Dujardin and Carol Hester will be competing at this year’s event (9-13 May).
The show, which is celebrating its 75th birthday this year, will host a grand prix and freestyle to music on the evenings of Thursday 10 and Friday 11 May respectively.
Carl and Charlotte are among the exciting line-up heading to Windsor Castle for the four-star dressage competition.
Charlotte will be riding Mount St John Freestyle, her new grand prix partner. The nine-year-old Hanoverian mare recently scored 81% in her grand prix debut at Hartpury (18 March).
“I’m really looking forward to Royal Windsor this year, and I am especially excited to showcase Freestyle’s talent to the British public,” said Charlotte. “Freestyle has been performing so well this season so a win at Windsor would be really special.”
Carl Hester & Hawtins Delicato (Del) - Oaklebrook Mill, Mailswick, Newent, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom - 12 March 2018
(Image credit: Jon Stroud Media)
Carl will be piloting Hanoverian gelding Hawtins Delicato, who also recently made his national grand prix debut, scoring 76.8%.
Last year Carl was victorious both in the grand prix and the freestyle at Windsor riding Barolo.
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“Royal Windsor is such a unique show, the setting is like no other and the competition is always fantastic,” said Carl. “It is great being back after winning here last year, Delicato and I are looking forward to giving Charlotte and Freestyle a run for their money!”
Both Carl and Charlotte are anticipated to be World Equestrian Games (WEG) contenders with their Windsor rides, with the games taking place in Tryon, United States, in September.
“Royal Windsor will give WEG hopefuls the invaluable opportunity to compete in front of a WEG dressage judge, an element that is expected to draw in many of the biggest international dressage names to the Castle Arena,” added a spokesman for Royal Windsor Horse Show.
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Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.
