It came down to the wire again at the Paris 2024 Games, with Lottie Fry and Glamourdale finishing third in the Olympic dressage freestyle on 88.97% to claim the individual bronze medal for Britain in another dramatic finale.
After yesterday’s special Lottie mentioned that she felt Glamourdale still had more to give, and he certainly delivered a series of highlights in the freestyle. His canter extensions were as stunning as ever, and his changes were expressive.
“That was an amazing feeling,” said Lottie. “As soon as the music starts Glamourdale really dances to it, it’s his favourite song and when it starts playing he just loves every second.”
But the margins at the top were incredibly tight, and after a couple of slight mistakes in Lottie and Glamourdale’s test, it looked like they might finish agonisingly short of the podium.
“He delivered his best work, but we had a few tiny mistakes creep in, which was a shame,” said Lottie directly after her test, before she knew she was destined for bronze and was feeling a little downcast. “Yesterday was a very long day for him, with the prize giving, then a doping test, and then the vet check this morning – it’s been a long weekend for the horses, but I couldn’t be more proud of him.
“Just to be at the Olympics is a massive achievement and a massive dream.”
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Lottie and Glamourdale were sitting in third before individual medal favourites and last-to-go Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle entered the arena.
Despite spectacular piaffe pirouettes into canter pirouettes and several other highlights, they too had mistakes and dramatically finished on 88.09% to place fifth on the final leaderboard.
That meant Lottie and Glamourdale secured the bronze medal, adding to Team GB’s remarkable record of securing a medal in each equestrian event so far.
Lottie Fry (right) on the podium in Paris, alongside Isabell Werth (left) and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl (centre).
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
“I’m speechless,” said Lottie in the mixed zone after the prizegiving. “I’m so proud of Glamourdale, and I 100% knew he was capable of it but to be able to pull it off in there today and get the bronze was just incredible.
“The support from the crowd was amazing, and the prizegiving was insane – that feeling going around with Jessica and Isabell, two idols and huge inspirations in our sport was incredible.”
Lottie added that she didn’t watch any of the tests that followed her.
“I knew they were all very good, so I didn’t want to disappoint myself, and I was just happy with my ride,” she explained.
“We were on our way back to the stables and I just by coincidence thought we better check the scores before we started packing up and then suddenly a lot of screaming was going on when we realised we had bronze!
“I was so exciting, and Glamourdale really deserves this.”
It’s now 32 years since Lottie’s late mother, Laura Fry, rode at the Barcelona Olympics alongside Lottie’s current teammate Carl Hester, and that was in Lottie’s thoughts after the test.
“The fact that I’m on teams with Carl now is very, very special,” she said. “I think she’s with me all the time and riding the test with me – I hope she’s proud.”
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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).
