Charlotte Dujardin sets grand prix world record at Olympia
- Published
Double Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin is favourite to win the World Cup freestyle title after setting a new dressage grand prix world record at the London International Horse Show.
The Brit guided her horse Valegro to a score of 84.447% breaking the previous best (84.08%) set by Dutch rider Edward Gal at the 2009 European Championships.
"The horse is amazing, I am just so lucky to have him," said Dujardin, 27.
The final is live on the Red Button from 19:55 GMT on Tuesday, 18 December.
Dujardin, who had been treated for suspected bronchitis on Monday morning, added: "I had the worst headache earlier in the day. I rode a bit safer than I would normally.
"Valegro had a good holiday after London, and he has come back stronger. He couldn't have come back and done any better."
Dujardin won Monday's grand prix with a score that was more than 8% better than second-placed German Isabell Werth, with Gal third and means she now holds world records in two of dressage's three top-flight disciplines - grand prix and grand prix special.
The victory also qualified Dujardin, along with 14 other riders, for Tuesday's grand prix freestyle, which is set to music and will be a repeat of the London 2012 gold medal-winning routine Land of Hope and Glory.
Gal's freestyle world record stands at 92.30%, with Dujardin and Valegro holding a personal best of 90.65%, set just before the London Olympics.
Monday's performance was Dujardin and Valegro's first competitive outing since winning two gold medals at London 2012 more than four months ago.
Dujardin and Valegro won individual gold at Greenwich Park this summer and were also part of Great Britain's Olympic title-winning team alongside Laura Bechtolsheimer and Carl Hester, who finished sixth on Monday with his Olympic horse Uthopia.
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