Double Olympic dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin launched the 2018 Equerry Bolesworth International Horse Show in stylish fashion on Tuesday evening.
The Gloucestershire-based London 2012 and Rio 2016 individual gold medallist won the show-opening Prix St-Georges, sponsored by The Brooke, on eight-year-old mare Florentina.
Their score of 75.235 per cent was enough to head the 15-strong field by a convincing margin, while she also also took second place aboard River Rise Escala on 72.647 per cent.
And in an impressive show by British riders, third place went to Vicky Thompson Winfield and Exquisite (69.618 per cent), with Michael Eilberg finishing fourth on Daltrey (69.382 per cent).
The honour of being this year’s first competitor across more than five days of top-class dressage, showjumping and eventing action fell to Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, granddaughter of the King of Thailand.
Another star-studded Bolesworth event will see equine and riding talent from several countries paraded at the stunning Bolesworth Castle setting in rural Cheshire, culminating in Sunday’s headline Equerry Horse Feeds showjumping grand prix.
