What can we say about Valegro that hasn’t already been said? You already know about the record setting scores and armloads of medals he and his rider, Charlotte Dujardin, earned over their career together. You know that he and Dujardin led Great Britain to its first-ever Olympic medal in the sport of dressage—team gold in 2012—and then followed it up with individual gold for good measure. And that they scored individual Olympic gold again this year in Rio. You probably even know that his nickname is “Blueberry,” and that the chemistry that makes him and Dujardin such a formidable pair in the competitive arena is built on a real friendship behind the scenes.
What more can we say about Valegro?
The 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding retired on Wednesday, December 14, at London’s Olympia Horse Show. He and Dujardin performed their Grand Prix Freestyle for a sold out crowd one last time before the official retirement ceremony. The performance was broadcast on FEI TV. Fans from the stands at Olympia and those watching at home shared some photos, vidoes, and tributes to the living legend using the hashtag #ThankYouValegro. And since there’s not much more that we can say about beloved Blueberry, we’ll let the fans show their appreciation.
Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com
Leslie Potter is a graduate of William Woods University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Equestrian Science with a concentration in saddle seat riding and a minor in Journalism/Mass Communications. She is currently a writer and photographer in Lexington, Ky. Potter worked as a barn manager and riding instructor and was a freelance reporter and photographer for the Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar and Saddle Horse Report before moving to Lexington to join Horse Illustrated as Web Editor from 2008 to 2019. Her current equestrian pursuits include being a grown-up lesson kid at an eventing barn and trail riding with her senior Morgan gelding, Snoopy.
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