Chief British dressage selector Judy Harvey FBHS shares her thoughts on the British combinations chosen for Tokyo
I’m delighted that Britain has an extremely strong team of young horses going out to Tokyo Games for the Olympic dressage competitions. At their practice run at Royal Windsor, Carl Hester’s ride En Vogue was looking like an individual medal winner. Nobody manages a horse better than Carl. I was impressed by the fitness, the polish and condition of all the horses that night.
Of course, everyone loves Charlotte Dujardin’s Gio. He is so balanced in his conformation; he never looks uncomfortable. He has his ears pricked the whole time, and he has an amazing attitude; he always seems to be enjoying himself. He is outstanding in half-passes, piaffe, passage and pirouettes, all of which are heavily weighted in the scoring.
{"content":"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"}
.
Judy’s exclusive column, which also reviews the winter championships, is also available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 8 July
You may also be interested in…
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now