Double Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin admitted she was given a wake-up call at the European Dressage Championships but handled it expertly to win her second medal in Denmark.
Dujardin, who won Olympic team and individual gold at London 2012 last summer, set a new grand prix world record in Herning on Thursday as Britain won team dressage bronze.
Back out a day later for the individual grand prix special competition aboard Valegro, Dujardin had to recover from a mistake during her routine before posting a winning total of 85.699 per-cent.
The 28-year-old forced Helen Langehanenberg of Germany and Adelinde Cornelissen of the Netherlands into second and third respectively while mentor and coach Carl Hester was sixth.
Fellow Brit Michael Eilberg placed 14th with all three advancing to Sunday’s individual freestyle and Dujardin insisted Valegro helped her put the earlier mistake to one side.
"I didn't go in there thinking of going wrong," said Dujardin, "It was really hard. I could hear the crowd, and I could hear people talking when I was trying to carry on. It was very loud in there, and I had to tell myself not to listen and just continue.
"I can't moan at him. He tried his hardest, and he went in there and pulled off another test even though I rode like a muppet at the top end of the arena. It is a case of slap me, pat the horse.
"I had no choice other than just to kick on for the gold. I knew one more mistake and that would be it, but he's such a super horse. He tries and tries, and I am so lucky and thankful to ride him."
© Sportsbeat 2013