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4 months ago
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On Tuesday afternoon, Team GB were rocked as their golden girl, Charlotte Dujardin, sensationally quit the Paris Olympics.
The decision came following the emergence of a video of the 24-year-old which allegedly showed her whipping a horse on the legs repeatedly.
The six-time Olympic medallist was among the contenders to be the flag bearer for Team GB at Friday's Opening Ceremony.
But she has since released a bombshell statement revealing that she has decided to pull out of all competition while the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) has provisionally suspended her for six months pending an investigation.
Here, Mail Sport takes a look at Dujardin's dressage career to date.
Team GB's Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from the Paris Games over a video showing her making an 'error of judgement'
Dujardin's early career
Dujardin was born in Enfield, London, on July 13, 1985 before being brought up in Bedfordshire.
She first began riding as a two-year-old when she would return her elder sisters' horses from the show jumping ring.
Just one year later, aged three, Dujardin claimed second place at her first Pony Club show jumping competition - which proved to be the beginning of a long and successful dressage career.
She purchased her first dressage horse at 19-years-old using inheritance money after her grandmother's death.
Speaking about it, she said: 'My parents don't have a lot of money and it was only through my mum's mum dying, and with her inheritance money we managed to buy Fernandes at a sale and he became my first grand prix horse,' she explained in 2012.
'He taught me a lot and I have to say, I owe my mum an awful lot, she's great, she's supported me all the way. I'm very lucky.'
Dujardin poses with her horse Pete (Imhotep), who she was due to ride in the Paris Games
Dujardin with her Tokyo 2020 Olympic winning horse Gio (left) and former Olympic gold medal winner Valegro (right) in 2021
Dujardin's Olympic record
The 39-year-old was poised to make history and become Britain's most decorated female Olympian in Paris - a medal of any colour would have taken her clear of Laura Kenny , with whom she is currently tied on six medals.
Her first medal came at the London 2012 Olympics, where she won gold in the individual and team dressage with Dutch Warmblood gelding Valegro. She then defended that title at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
In the team dressage, however, GB were only able to secure a silver medal.
She then decided to retire Valegro and rode on Gio for Tokyo 2020, where she claimed a bronze medal in both the individual and team dressage events.
She was briefly the most successful British female Olympian in history before she was surpassed by cyclist Laura Trott.
She was briefly the most successful British female Olympian in history before she was surpassed by cyclist Laura Trott
Away from dressage, Dujardin is married to Dean Golding, with whom they have one daughter
Her life away from dressage
Dujardin is married to Dean Golding, who proposed to her by wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with: 'Can we get married now?' after she won gold in Rio.
She only recently returned to competition after giving birth to her first child in March 2023.
During a recent interview in Horse & Hound, she went on to say she hopes to be a 'good example' for her daughter Isabella.
Dujardin said: 'Whether it's in dressage or some other sport, I hope to be a good example.
'That's what it's all about, inspiring the younger generations to be active and to take up and follow their dreams.'
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