The one lesson I’ve learned from life

Charlotte Dujardin

CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN CBE, 32, is Britain’s most successful dressage rider. she won two olympic gold medals at london 2012 and a third in rio in 2016. she became engaged to Dean golding, a south african former runner, after he wore a shirt saying ‘Can we get married now?’ at the 2016 olympics.

NEVER LET WORK RUIN YOUR LOVE LIFE

I STARTED riding when I was two years old. I never really wanted to be in school because I always loved horses.

I was always determined to succeed and get to London 2012, but I didn’t prepare for how my life would change.

The sudden fame was something I really struggled with — my partner and I split up for three months. We’d been together for five years and planned to marry, but I was so busy it didn’t really happen. Dean said: ‘ The newspapers know more about you than I do.’ It was a manic time and I was lost in this world that I knew nothing about.

It was a learning curve, but by the time I got to Rio I felt more confident and knew what to expect. And when you’re part of a team, if one of you is having a bad day, you can pick one another up.

everyone always asks how I stay calm when I’m competing in major events, but I thrive on that pressure. I enjoy putting myself out there to try and win medals — I just see it as doing my job.

I wasn’t always this composed. At the beginning of my career, the nerves could take hold, but I worked with a sports psychologist. When I’m going into an arena, I remind myself that what I’m doing there isn’t any different to what I’ve done in training. I don’t really see or hear anything around me as I’m focusing on my performance.

It’s important for dressage riders to stay relaxed as the horses can sense tension in our bodies. If a horse feels afraid, they’re not going to perform so well or do what we want them to.

I’ve learned to avoid negative people. I remember saying I wanted to compete at London 2012 and there were people who’d say: ‘oh, well, that’s never going to happen.’

These people want to be friends after you win, but I’ll never forget what they said. I don’t let bad days get to me now — I know I’m lucky to do what I love.

CHARLOTTE is competing at the royal Windsor horse show, may 9-13.