Valegro

Valegro
BreedDutch Warmblood
SireNegro
GrandsireFerro
DamMaifleur
Maternal grandsireGershwin
SexGelding
Foaled2002
CountryNetherlands
OwnerCarl Hester Rowena Luard Anne Barrott
Olympic medal record
Equestrian
Gold medal – first place2012 LondonTeam dressage
Gold medal – first place2012 LondonIndividual dressage
Gold medal – first place2016 Rio de JaneiroIndividual dressage
Silver medal – second place2016 Rio de JaneiroTeam dressage

Valegro (5 July 2002 – 1 November 2025) was a dressage horse ridden by British equestrian Charlotte Dujardin. His stable name was Blueberry. He was a double World Champion in dressage. Valegro won the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle.[1]

Career

Valegro never lost a race, starting in January 2012.[2]

Dujardin and Valegro won the FEI World Cup grand prix at London Olympia in 2011.[3] They set a world record. Their score was 88.022% in April 2012.[3][4][5]

Dujardin and Valegro were for Great Britain in the 2012 Summer Olympics.[6] They set a new Olympic score of 83.784%.[7] On August 7, 2012, Dujardin and Valegro were a part of a team that won the gold medal in the team dressage.[8] They won a gold medal in individual dressage.[9][10]

At the 2013 European Championships in Herning, Charlotte and Valegro won the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special.[11]

Valegro won a gold medal in the individual dressage at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Retirement and death

On 14 December 2016, Valegro was retired by Dujardin. Dujardin and Valegro did a goodbye speech at the London International Horse Show 2016. It was on television by the BBC.[12]

Valegro was euthanatized in November 2025 at the age of 23.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Carl Hester.co.uk Carl's Horses". Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  2. ↑ "British Dressage". www.britishdressage.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Charlotte Dujardin triumphs in FEI World Cup grand prix". BBC Sport. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "London 2012: Charlotte Dujardin breaks dressage world record". BBC Sport. 29 April 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "Dujardin and Valegro take 2012CDA Hagen Grand Prix for special by storm". www.eurodressage.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  6. ↑ "London 2012: Dressage riders Bechtolsheimer and Dujardin selected for Team GB". www.sportsister.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Association, Press (3 August 2012). "London 2012: Charlotte Dujardin breaks Olympic dressage record". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  8. ↑ "Olympics equestrian: 20 gold medals for GB with dressage win". BBC Sport. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  9. ↑ "Olympics equestrian: Charlotte Dujardin wins second dressage gold". BBC Sport. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  10. ↑ "London Olympics: Dujardin wins individual dressage gold". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  11. ↑ "British Dressage". www.britishdressage.co.uk.
  12. ↑ "Live coverage of Valegro's retirement to be shown by BBC". Horse & Hound. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  13. ↑ Wright, Melissa. "Valegro And Uthopia, British Dressage Stars, Have Died". chronofhorse.com. Retrieved 1 December 2025.

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