Two of the greatest dressage horses of all time — Valegro (‘Blueberry’) and Uthopia — were put to sleep today, Carl Hester announced on his social media this evening (Monday 1 December).
In a moving tribute to the horses, whose multiple accolades included team gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games — where Valegro also won his first of two consecutive individual Olympic golds — Carl said: “Without question, this is a loss that just feels hard to comprehend”.
He confirmed that the two horses, who had lived together for many years both during their competitive careers and in retirement, died together at home.
“Their entire lives ran in parallel; they travelled to the shows side by side, lived in neighbouring stables, grazed in the same fields and retired together. Their bond and companionship were absolute,” said Carl.
“As life as old boys advanced, so too did the health challenges, so allowing them to leave this world together was the final act of loyalty and dignity I felt I could give them, honouring a partnership that had never been separated in life.
“Trying to write a tribute to these two horses feels harder than I imagined. The yard just doesn’t feel the same without them, there’s an emptiness in the air.”
‘You will be remembered forever’
In a statement on her own Facebook page, Charlotte Dujardin — who piloted Blueberry to all of his Olympic, World, and European gold medals — said how much she loved him.
“You have been my constant, my rock. Through the highest highs and the lowest lows, your gentle presence, your steady heartbeat, the silent moments we shared together have been my everything, the place I could always go to.
“In those quiet moments we had so many conversations without words; you loved me completely, as I am. You saw my heart and I yours.”
Charlotte continued: “I’ve never sat on a horse like you,” and said: “The biggest gift of all was the amount of joy you brought to this world. You made people smile every single day of your life.
“What a rare and special gift that is. You were born to do it.”
She also said that Blueberry was especially kind to her young children, Isabella and William.
“They will grow up knowing your name, hearing stories about you, looking at pictures and videos of you.
“You will live on, not just in theirs, but in so many people’s hearts, and that gives me great happiness — you deserve to, and will be, remembered forever.”
‘People flocked to see him’
Emma Bedford, Your Horse Live’s Show Director, paid tribute to Valegro, who featured at the show on several occasions and whose appearances were always a sell-out.
“It was always an honour to have Valegro with us at Your Horse Live. When he came in during Charlotte’s demo to meet his fans you could see he absolutely loved the stage and the bond between horse and rider was clear to see,” said Emma.
“So too was the bond with his fans — everyone flocked to meet him and it was always a very special occasion.
“Valegro was a true legend — beautiful and kind, and a horse that we at Your Horse Live will remember fondly.”
Uthopia also figured large in the Your Horse office, as he was a model for several photoshoots alongside Alan and the handsome gelding appears in many images on this website as well as in the magazine.
“On behalf of myself and the wider Your Horse team, our thoughts are with Charlotte, Carl, Alan, and all Valegro and Uthopia’s connections and fans at this very sad time,” added Emma.
‘A huge void’
Carl called being a part of the horses’ journey “one of my proudest achievements”.
“Valegro and Uthopia did more than win medals and write history, they gave our sport a golden era. They both showed that greatness can be gentle, sensitive and harmonious and they made a nation proud and inspired so many,” he said.
“Being part of their journey will always remain one of my proudest achievements and the whole team and myself are deeply grateful for the joy they gave to us at home but also to their fans around the world.
“They leave behind a huge void, and the yard has changed forever and so have we. They were our family and I will love and miss them always. The impact they had will remain but sadly, we don’t get to keep horses forever.
“We only get to carry what they leave inside us. And these two left us so much.”
Charlotte concluded: “You have been, and always will be, my one in a million and it has been the honour of my life to be not only your dance partner but best friend.
“The magic we had, no one can take from us, and we will dance again one day.”
