Equestrian Fans Say Thank You to Valegro

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