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Dressage gold for GBR, German silver and bronze

Mark HallamAugust 15, 2016

Charlotte Dujardin and her steed Valegro combined for a remarkable overall score north of 90 percent in the individual dressage. Germany's Isabell Werth and Kristina Bröring-Sprehe took silver and bronze.

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Charlotte Dujardin Valegro
Image: Getty Images/J. McDougall

Riding fifth from last in the field, Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro put up a huge score of 93.928 percent - meaning anybody who wanted to wrestle gold from the British double act would need to muster a personal best to do so.

Two of the German hopefuls, buoyed by their gold in the team event in Rio last week, came closest to challenging Dujardin's tally.

Kristina Bröring-Sprehe's score of 87.142, set atop Desperados, was the benchmark when Dujardin and Valegro had trotted into the arena - and it ultimately proved enough for bronze.

Germany's great hope Isabell Werth and her horse Weihegold Old stepped up last of all, but could only produce a tally of 89.071, narrowly displacing her countrywoman without coming into reach of the leading Brit.

Brasilien Rio de Janeiro Olympia 2016 Dressurreiten Siegerehrung
In one of the few gender-neutral Olympic disciplines, three women locked out the podiumImage: Reuters/T. Gentile

Dujardin became Britain's most successful Olympic equestrian dressage rider in the process, claiming her third career gold after winning both individual and team gold at London 2012. She was also part of the silver-winning GBR team to lose out to the German troupe last week.

Dujardin effusively praised Valegro after the victory, a horse that has been at the top of the sport for six years, and which has not lost an individual event since 2012. In his entire professional competition career, Valegro has never thrown his rider.