Charlotte Dujardin is an elite British dressage rider, winner of three Olympic gold medals and a silver (London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016), European Champion, and World Champion, and holds all three World Records in the sport of dressage. Born in Enfield, England, Dujardin was brought up in Hertfordshire and started riding when she was two. By the age of 16 she had won the Horse of the Year Show competition four times, and her trainer at the time encouraged her to explore the sport of dressage. In February 2007, Dujardin had some lessons with British Olympian Carl Hester, and spotting her talent, he offered her a job as a groom. She was asked to bring along a young Dutch Warmblood gelding named Valegro with the intention that horse would eventually be ridden by Hester; however, after Hester and his co–owner awarded the ride on Valegro to Dujardin when their partnership and great potential became apparent, and so began the pair's meteoric rise. Along with her many medals and awards in the dressage arena, Dujardin was named BT Action Woman of the Year (2014), Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswoman of the Year (2014), and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2017). Dujardin remains based at Hester's barn in Gloucestershire, England (www.charlottedujardin.co.uk).
"There has perhaps never been a dressage horse so famous and
beloved as Valegro, nor a partnership so celebrated as the one he
shared with Charlotte Dujardin during his years in the competition
arena. So when Dujardin published her journey from horse-crazed
3-year-old to the world's most famous horsewoman by age 30, I
couldn't wait to crack its pages. "The Girl on the Dancing Horse"
doesn't disappoint. Dujardin shares the details of her life with
honesty and humor, whether she's recounting standing on the podium
as the first British rider ever to win double-gold Olympic dressage
medals or desperately rushing around trying to get her dress
altered before receiving the Reem Acra Best Athlete of the Year at
the 2013 FEI Awards Gala. "It turned out what I needed was 'tit
tape'-- apparently it's what the catwalk models use all the time,"
writes Dujardin. "You're literally stuck into your dress with
double-sided sticky tape so you don't accidentally flash people."
Dujardin opens up about her relationship with her mother who got
her started in the horse world on show ponies but had a hard time
letting go of her role as horse show mom. She discusses her early
days riding for Carl Hester, when she and her boyfriend were
working so many hours they never saw one another, and they had to
ask their parents to order them groceries online because they
couldn't afford to buy them. She details the lows of nearly losing
her fiancé and Valegro just a few months after her Olympic
victories. The writing is informal and chatty but well edited. You
won't garner many riding tips from reading it, but you will gain an
appreciation for how even the most magical road to the top of the
sport is paved with countless hours of hard work and a little good
luck thrown in to fill the cracks."--UnTACKED
"The Girl on the Dancing Horse is a quick and enjoyable read, and
should be on every equestrian's reading list regardless of
discipline - Charlotte Dujardin's personal struggles are
universally recognizable and her ability to conquer some of her
struggles and come to terms with others is truly inspiring for all
of us just trying to keep our horse lives and our real lives
balanced."--Horse Nation
"The Girl on the Dancing Horse succeeds in the difficult exercise
of bringing together Dujardin's sparkling athletic career and the
ups and downs of her personal life...In writing her autobiography,
Charlotte Dujardin wanted to inspire readers to believe in their
dreams, and there is no doubt that message will be
received."www.Grandprix-Replay.com
"Pony girls everywhere, including Sidelines reader Amelia Mae
Pospishil, dream of growing up to be like Charlotte Dujardin, who
rose to fame on her amazing horse Valegro. Charlotte's book The
Girl on the Dancing Horse is a great read--for riders of all ages."
--Sidelines Magazine
"The story is one of enchantment...Charlotte is very honest about
how difficult life can be, especially when you are forced to
conduct life at a fast speed in the limelight."--Catskill Horse
"Dressage is a highly skilled level of horseback riding in which
horse and rider perform a series of predetermined movements in
exhibition or competition. Dujardin is one of the world's most
accomplished dressage competitors. She and her horse Valegro
charmed the world with their performance at the London Olympics in
2012 and then again with a farewell performance at the London
International Horse Show in 2016. Dujardin's autobiography is more
than the story of her path to success. Readers get to know the
feisty little girl who got frustrated because she was too small to
saddle her own mount, the teen who struggled at school but had a
singular rapport with even the most difficult horses, and the young
woman who achieved her dreams at great emotional expense. Along the
way, we meet several influential horses, coaches, and family
members who mentored the author as she worked to achieve a spot on
the British Olympic team. Dujardin's writing is down to earth and
honest; her story is inspirational even for those who are not horse
enthusiasts."--Library Journal
You've seen her prancing her way across the dressage ring aboard
her beloved partner, Blueberry, and now you can read all about
Charlotte Dujardin's journey to the top of the sport in The Girl on
the Dancing Horse. An inside look on the dressage star's life from
her start in riding, to her time cleaning Carl Hester's tack, to
her humble introduction to Valegro, Dujardin brings you along and
makes you feel like you are right there with her. BOTTOM LINE: If
you shed a tear during Charlotte and Valegro's final Olympic
performance like we did, then this book is a must read. --Equine
Journal
"A wonderfully chatty, informal account of Charlotte's life, from
growing up in the showing world to dazzling the world with the
legendary Valegro... For anyone who has followed Charlotte and
Valegro's journey and let's face it, who hasn't this
refreshingly honest autobiography will prove a highly enjoyable,
fascinating read."Horse & Hound Magazine
"Britain's greatest equestrian reveals how London Olympics success
'drove the man she loved away and sparked a battle with depression'
and how she literally rode through it to victory at 2016 in Rio
where her reconciled partner proposed."The Daily Mail
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