British dressage was facing a crisis - but an Olympic bronze medal provides the face of the future

Team GB’s newest equestrian star is almost 30 years younger than the soon-to-retire Carl Hester

(AP)

Charlotte Fry cemented her status as the new face of British dressage with individual Olympic bronze.

With Charlotte Dujardin’s future shrouded in uncertainty and Carl Hester on the brink of retirement as a rider, Fry has proven in Versailles that she is ready to step into the breach.

The 28-year-old and horse Glamourdale produced one last excellent test to reach the dressage podium in the grand prix freestyle.

Fry and Glamourdale scored 88.971 to take bronze and make it five Great Britain podium finishes from five equestrian competitions at Paris 2024.

At 28, Fry could be set for decades of dressage success and has all of the minerals to be a star.

“It was a pretty amazing feeling in there, with the music and the crowd and the whole arena,” said Fry.

“It was so incredible to ride. Glamourdale always rises to the occasion, and he really delivered his best work, so I couldn’t be more pleased to be honest. We had a few tiny mistakes creep in which was a shame, but it’s been a pretty long week for us here. He really gave his all and it was incredible. Very proud.”

Fry’s mum Laura, who competed at the 1992 Olympics, passed away in 2012 and Charlotte moved to Den Hout in the Netherlands shortly after on the advice of Hester.

It has proven an inspired decision as she has benefited from the coaching of Anne van Olst and a superb string of horses trained by the Olympic medallist from Denmark.

Fry and Glamourdale were crowned world champions in 2022, a landmark success that propelled them on to Paris.

“It’s a very similar feeling (to 2022),” said Fry.

“When we became world champions, it was quite unexpected in that moment, and I then knew that Glamourdale was capable.

“Having it all come together on the day at the right time is very special. This is just as special for me, maybe even more special, to have this Paris 2024 Olympic medal. It’s just so cool.”

Fry claimed bronze in dressage (EPA)

In Tokyo, Fry rode Everdale in an empty arena, while she felt that Glamourdale relished performing in front of an Olympic crowd.

“A very big difference to Tokyo,” said Fry. “That was an incredible experience, but riding in the arena like that, full of the public, nothing beats it to be honest.”

Fry’s own Olympic tally now stands at three bronze medals having made her debut in Tokyo.

She will have to start turning those into gold to cement star status and will likely have fierce competition in doing so, particularly from Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour - married to Rasmine, the daughter of former Rangers footballer Brian Laudrup - and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl of Germany.

Germany have been the dominant nation at the Games having won team gold on Saturday and now individual gold thanks to Von Bredow-Werndl, the outstanding rider in the field who retained her Olympic title with Dalera.

55-year-old Isabell Werth took silver to become Germany’s most decorated Olympian, overtaking canoeist Birgit Fischer in the process, taking her tally to eight golds and six silvers.

::Watch every moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live only on discovery+, the streaming home of the Olympics.