Valegro

Valegro

With Charlotte Dujardin at the 2012 Olympics
Breed	KWPN
Sire	Negro (KWPN)
Grandsire	Ferro (KWPN)
Dam	Malifleur (KWPN)
Maternal grandsire	Gershwin (KWPN)
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	2002
Country	Holland
Colour	Dark bay
Owner	Carl Hester and Rowena Luard

Valegro (born 2002) is a horse ridden by the British equestrian Charlotte Dujardin in the sport of dressage. He stands 16.2hh and has the stable name of Blueberry.^[1]

Having joined Carl Hester's stable in Newent, Gloucestershire as a groom, Dujardin was offered the opportunity to develop the novice Dutch Warmblood gelding by Hester and co-owner Roly Luard, with the later intention of the horse being ridden in competition by Hester.^[2]

Valegro has remained unbeaten since CDI Kapellen in January 2012.^[3]

The combination became part of the team which won gold in a European Dressage Championship event in Rotterdam. They then won the FEI World Cup grand prix at London Olympia in 2011, setting a world record for the Olympic grand prix special discipline scoring 88.022%, in April 2012.^[4][5][6]

Selected to represent Great Britain in the 2012 Summer Olympics,^[7] in the first round they set a new Olympic record of 83.784%.^[8] On 7 August 2012 the pair were members of the team which won the gold medal in the team dressage event.^[9] Two days later they won the gold in the individual dressage event with a score of 90.089%.^[10][11]

At the 2013 European Championships in Hernig Charlotte and Valegro won both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special with 85.94% and 85.69%.^[12]

At Olympia 2013 he beat the world record (by around 2%) he set the new record to 93.975% A record which was previously held by Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas.

Breeding

Valegro is sired by the legendary KWPN stallion Negro, by Olympic Ferro.

Furioso II is his great great damsire.^[13]

References