Dujardin tops world rankings

Double Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin has become the first British dressage rider in history to reach world number one.

Dujardin and her brilliant London 2012 horse Valegro were unveiled as the new number one combination in the latest world rankings published on Thursday.

The 27-year-old won individual freestyle at Greenwich Park and was also part of the Olympic title-winning British team alongside Laura Bechtolsheimer and Carl Hester.

Dujardin, who trains with Hester at Newent in Gloucestershire, has climbed one place and moved seven rankings points clear of outstanding Dutch combination Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival.

Cornelissen, who won freestyle silver at Greenwich Park, had been top of the rankings for just over a year.

"It is fantastic to see Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro leading the rankings after their incredible performance in Greenwich Park," said Trond Asmyr, the Federation Equestre International's dressage director.

"The pair have been key to helping Great Britain re-write dressage history and have highlighted the fact that the sport is in an exciting period of change with lots of new faces now in the mix.

"Charlotte's natural talent and her partnership with the hugely-successful Carl Hester mean that she is a valuable driving force for future generations of dressage riders."

Dujardin will be action at the British National Championships, which start at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire next week, together with Bechtolsheimer and Hester.