'It feels surreal' - Dujardin on historic Olympic medal bid

Charlotte Dujardin says it feels "surreal" she is connected nan cusp of becoming Britain’s astir dressed up female Olympian.

The 39-year-old dressage rider needs a badge of immoderate colour to return nan outright lead from now-retired cyclist Dame Laura Kenny, pinch whom she is presently tied connected six medals.

Dujardin believes she has a "really bully chance" of occurrence astatine nan Paris Games, wherever she will compete successful some nan individual dressage and squad arena alongside Carl Hester and world champion Lottie Fry.

"It will beryllium 1 of nan astir unthinkable moments if that does happen," she said of her chance astatine making history.

"But I don't put immoderate unit connected myself to make that happen."

Since nan past Olympics successful 2021, Dujardin has go a mother, pinch girl Isabella calved successful March 2023.

She said becoming a genitor had changed her arsenic a person.

"With our athletics there's ever different day, different title to spell to," she said.

"But erstwhile you've sewage a child, it benignant of conscionable changes your position connected existent life."

Dujardin still has large ambitions and goals, but is adamant nan ambiance should beryllium affirmative for Isabella - who will beryllium successful Paris.

"For maine it's showing her that really astir important for maine is to bask it. I don't want it to beryllium a stressful event," she said.

"It's really astir making her proud. I want for her, 1 day, to look backmost and go: 'That's my mummy and really cool was that that she was location competing astatine nan Olympics. And, I was location to watch.'"

Dujardin announced herself to nan equestrian world and beyond astatine nan London 2012 Olympics erstwhile she won squad and individual golden medals connected Valegro. The brace went connected to triumph individual golden and squad metallic 4 years later successful Rio.

On a different horse, Gio, she won 2 bronzes astatine nan delayed Tokyo 2020 Games.

This summertime she will beryllium riding Imhotep - nicknamed Pete - who she describes arsenic "fantastic".

"He's a existent bouncy characteristic and he's sewage specified a beautiful nature. He's very, very enthusiastic," Dujardin said.

"I'm nan benignant of competitor that erstwhile I spell in, I americium very overmuch successful it to triumph it. And Pete decidedly takes that on."

She said if a badge does not hap this summer, 57-year-old Hester - nan oldest personnel of Team GB - is impervious that she tin hopefully beryllium astatine nan apical of nan athletics for galore years to come.

He will beryllium competing astatine his seventh Olympics.

Dujardin added: "It's a superb squad pinch Carl and Lottie. I'll beryllium successful it to triumph it. For judge I'm not going down without a fight.

"That's nan benignant of personification I am. I'm very, very competitive."

The dressage title astatine Paris 2024 originates connected 30 July and will beryllium held astatine nan iconic Chateau de Versailles.