Imhotep, or “Pete” as he’s recognized at house, is Charlotte Dujardin’s “good” best horse, and her first experience since Valegro to wreck the 90% barrier in global pageant.
Through Lottie Fry’s grand prix spouse Everdale, Imhotep was once bred through Tineke Huizing within the Netherlands. He was once purchased as a two-year-old through Charlotte’s long-term teacher Carl Hester and Coral Ingham after being noticed through dressage rider Henry Boswell.
“He despatched me a video of the pony and I stopped up purchasing him from it,” Carl informed Horse & Hound following Imhotep’s 3 wins on the Nationwide Championships in 2021. “It’s the one time I’ve purchased a horse from a video and I wouldn’t suggest it, but if I noticed him get off the lorry I used to be glad!”
The next yr – at simply 9 years outdated – Imhotep was once a part of the British group that took silver on the Global Dressage Championships in 2022 which he adopted in 2023 with a group gold and person bronze medal at the Ecu Dressage Championships.
However regardless of his spectacular and ever-growing medal assortment, it’s now not all the time been undeniable crusing for Imhotep who proved difficult in his early years.
Imhotep’s early years
“Pete was once so naughty as a tender horse,” Charlotte says. “I keep in mind him being ridden through Rob Barker as a four-year-old and I’ve by no means in my complete lifestyles observed a horse dollar like he may. I’d give Rob a gold medal – I do not know how he used to stick on.”
Carl concurs: “He was once tricky to stick on within the younger days. You’ll see it in the way in which he strikes, how his complete frame strikes – when Pete used to dollar he’d truly opt for it.”
Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep right through enviornment familiarisation on the Global Dressage Championships 2022
However consistent with Carl and Charlotte’s former groom Alan Davies, at the back of the younger Imhotep’s bravado lay a candy persona: “He was once all the time the naughty boy of the category when he was once more youthful. However I came upon that beneath that external, he’s if truth be told an excessively delicate chap.
“After we cross away to displays and he’s in a spot he doesn’t know, the bravado disappears, and he’ll simply stand quietly, normally at the back of me, and watch what’s occurring.”
Rob competed with Imhotep as a tender horse, taking him to the Nationwide Championships in 2017 as a four-year-old. Carl’s then in-house rider Sadie Smith took over the experience in 2018, taking Imhotep as much as medium degree.
Charlotte started competing him in 2020 and from that time on they went unbeaten on the nationwide degree ahead of making their global debut in Compiègne in 2022 the place they scored 72.8% to come back fourth within the grand prix and 76.06% for 2d within the grand prix particular.
“Pete met his fit with Charlotte,” Carl defined in an interview at the The Horse & Hound Podcast. “How his building and dating with Charlotte has modified during the last few years has been an out of this world pleasure and delight for me to observe.”
Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep’s global luck
Following their global debut at Compiègne, Charlotte and Imhotep gained the grand prix at Wellington CDI3* in June of 2022 – in what was once most effective their 3rd take a look at ever at this degree – on 77.76% and the particular on 78.36%.
“Since Valegro, Pete is the person who’s given me that feeling of such a lot self assurance within the enviornment,” Charlotte informed Horse & Hound on the time.
That efficiency was once sufficient to safe the mix’s position at the British group for the 2022 Global Dressage Championships in Herning along Richard Davison (Bubblingh), Lottie Fry (Glamourdale) and Gareth Hughes (Vintage Briolinca).
In my opinion, Imhotep got here fourth within the grand prix on 77.41%, 6th within the particular on 77.52% and tenth in his first-ever freestyle on 83.13%.
Charlotte Dujardin, aboard Imhotep, greeting her daughter Isabella, after successful the grand prix on the Royal Windsor Horse Display.
In 2023, much more luck adopted as the mix gained the grand prix and the freestyle on the Royal Windsor Horse Display on Charlotte’s go back to pageant, most effective two months after the delivery of her daughter Isabella.
This was once adopted through victories within the grand prix and the particular at Wellington CDI3* ahead of completing as shut runners-up to Olympic champions Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB at CHIO Aachen.
The Ecu Dressage Championships at Riesenbeck showed Imhotep’s standing as one of the crucial international’s highest as he scored private bests of 82.42% within the grand prix and 82.58% within the particular, ahead of claiming the bronze medal on 91.4% within the freestyle – all regardless of Charlotte admitting she nonetheless “had the handbrake on”.
The mix rounded out 2o23 with victories within the grand prix on 81.76% and the freestyle on 89.57% in entrance of a house crowd at The London Global Horse Display.
“I’ve an actual partnership with Pete that I completely love,” mentioned Charlotte following their win in London. “To me, that’s what it’s all about – when you’ll be able to reassure them, grasp his hand and say it’s OK. He has such a lot power and not stops – he simply assists in keeping going and going and I really like that – it’s me in every single place.”
Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep at CHIO Aachen 2023.
Carl and Charlotte credit score a lot of Imhotep’s luck to him dwelling him out. “He lives outdoor all evening lengthy, with some other horse, just about all yr spherical – till we’re flooded,” says Charlotte.
Carl explains, that dwelling outdoor along with his box significant other Jaguar, assists in keeping Imhotep motivated: “Grass is herbal. Individuals are horrified and I do know they don’t consider me every now and then once they come to the backyard and notice horses in a box, in combination.
“I are aware of it doesn’t go well with each and every horse. Valegro couldn’t are living out 24 hours an afternoon as a result of he’s too fats, and likes meals – he couldn’t be a kind of horses. However for some horses like Style and Imhotep, the extra extremely strung horses, it’s a super approach of conserving them.”
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Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
Credit score: Peter Nixon
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