Leighton Buzzard bursting with pride as Charlotte Dujardin most decorated British female Olympian

The former Vandyke Upper School pupil now has a total of six medals.
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Leighton Buzzard is bursting with pride as former Vandyke Upper School pupil, Charlotte Dujardin, has become the most decorated British female Olympian of all time.

Charlotte and her horse Gio won the bronze medal during a nail-biting individual dressage event at Tokyo Equestrian Park today (July 28), taking her overall total of medals to six.

On Tuesday (July 27), the talented horse rider won her fifth Olympic medal as Great Britain took bronze in the team dressage final, which put her in equal place with rower Katherine Grainger and tennis player Kathleen McKane Godfree, who have a total of five medals each.

Charlotte Dujardin. Photo: Team GB.Charlotte Dujardin. Photo: Team GB.
Charlotte Dujardin. Photo: Team GB.

However, Charlotte and Gio's success today means the Leighton lady is now at the top!

Speaking to the BBC news, Charlotte, 36, said: "I'm a bit speechless! There's so many incredible sportspeople that have achieved so much."

The determined equestrian took bronze in Tuesday's team dressage final along with fellow team members Carl Hester, 54, and Charlotte Fry, 25.

She has previously won four other Olympic medals: gold in the team dressage (London 2012); gold in the individual dressage (London 2012); gold in the individual dressage (Rio de Janeiro 2016); silver in the team dressage (Rio de Janeiro 2016).

In London and Rio, Charlotte's victories were with her horse, Valegro, while for the 2020 games she is riding Gio, who made his Olympic debut in style!

Talking to the BBC she described Gio as her "pocked rocket" with a "heart of gold".

Looking ahead to the Paris 2024 Olympics, Charlotte told journalists that she believed the medal would be "another colour" after four more years of training with Gio.

He is nicknamed 'Pumpkin' after arriving at her stables during Hallowe'en, and proud Charlotte described his performance this week as "phenomenal".

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