Dujardin in record groove

Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin won individual dressage gold with a record score yesterday, the London Olympic hosts’ first ever medal in the event.

Dujardin, part of the British team to win the team dressage title on Tuesday, beat Adelinde Cornelissen, of the Netherlands, with Laura Bechtolsheimer, also of Britain, taking the bronze.

Dujardin lived up to her favourite’s status on Valegro with a massive score of 90.089 percent, with Cornelissen on 88.196 and Bechtolsheimer on 84.339.

The 27-year-old Dujardin’s show-stealing performance in front of an ecstatic 23,000 capacity-crowd brought the curtain down on a sensational Games for Britain’s equestrians at Greenwich Park.

On Monday their show jumpers led by Nick Skelton won their first team gold in 60 years, followed 24 hours later by Dujardin, Bechtolsheimer and Carl Hester winning an historic team dressage title.

Last week the three-day eventing team, featuring Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, picked up silver behind Germany.

Dujardin, who had not even ridden a competitive grand prix test 20 months ago, burst into tears when her score flashed up on the scoreboard as the two medals won yesterday gave British equestrian sport its best Olympics of all time.

They won five medals in total – dressage team and individual gold, dressage individual bronze, showjumping gold and eventing silver.

Dujardin’s routine to music was crammed with patriotic British tunes such as Land of Hope and Glory and I Vow to Thee, My Country, and also included the chimes of Big Ben.