Charlotte Dujardin Quotes

I was an expert horseman.

My first ambition was to be a show jumper. I did a bit of dressage as part of it, and the dressage trainer saw me and said, 'Why are you wasting your time with the other stuff? You should be concentrating on this.'

I've always loved horses. When I was younger, I competed in horse shows and did quite well.

It's very good for you, riding. You know how every model is like, 'I do yoga.' Well, I find horses to have the same effect, in that you have to put your ego aside and concentrate on making the horse do the things you want it to do, and move in the way you want it to move - particularly if you're doing dressage.

It's going to be hard to ever have a horse to replace Valegro. He is a professor. I think he read the dressage book and learnt it all before he ever did it.

I might have been a jockey, you know. I started by riding horses bareback and holding on to the mane before they finally threw me off.

I gallop and jump and ride young horses with intense pleasure.

I'd like to play a horse, many people think I already have. Either end of the horse would be fine.

I rode horses since I was a kid.

I love the freedom you feel on horseback, and enjoy the discipline of competition.

I started spending time at stables with my daughter while she was riding. I was reminded of my love for the form and different aspects of the horse. Then I thought about the bit, halter, and bridle in terms of how we harness and ride this animal. There were a lot of interesting elements to explore.

Richard Armitage is very good at the old horse riding because of course he did it in 'Robin Hood,' so he's very good at that.

Being a great horseman does not rely on physical strength but more on the mind and sensibility.

The best riders in the world with the best horses make it look so elegant and graceful. When you watch it done well, it looks so easy that it's difficult for the public to understand how hard this really is.

I've always enjoyed being on a horse.

I grew up riding. From the time I was nineteen years old to the time I was twenty five I exercised race horses.

I used to be a keen rider. Sometimes I could sense what a horse liked or preferred to do.

George Morris is a legend. I was lucky enough to have been on a number of his U.S. show-jumping teams and am constantly trying to learn from him.

When I used to say I did dressage, I got blank looks. No one had a clue what I was on about.

I have walked into several pubs, and guys in there have said to me, 'My God, you are the girl off the dancing horse.' They have got no idea about dressage, and they said, 'I can't work out whether you make the horse do that or the horse does it itself - we just couldn't tell - but it brought tears to our eyes.'

I got to a point where I was doing county-level shows, but it was dressage that I really loved where, effectively, the horses are dancing. At one point, I was a groom for Hannah Esberger, who has competed for Great Britain and has seven national championship titles.

He was very commanding, and you had to know what you were doing to work for Mr. Rogers. I learned how to ride very quickly with him as my riding teacher.

You know yourself, once you've had the excitement of riding thoroughbreds, it's not very interesting riding anything else. But I still love horses; I just don't have one any more.

In summer winter rain or sun, it's good to be on horseback.

I had a paint pony called Half-Pint, and I rode her in Madison Square Garden, and that was my first big show. But my first real pony was this red pony called Chantal. He was absolutely amazing. He was a great pony, except he did spin me off a couple of times! I would blink, and then I would be on the floor.