Horse & Hound has reported that Charlotte Dujardin, winner of last year’s Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Las Vegas aboard Valegro, won’t be competing at this edition of the competition in Sweden.
Dujardin was slated to ride Uthopia, Carl Hester’s 2012 London Olympics mount, at the final. But an ownership dispute over the horse means she cannot take him.
“Due to the ongoing legal dispute around Uthopia’s ownership, the horse won’t be available to compete at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Gothenburg, and therefore Charlotte will be sadly unable to defend her title,” a British Dressage spokesman told H&H. “We are not able to comment further on it at present due to the sensitivity of the situation.”
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According to the Fédération Equestre Internationale database, the 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion (Metall—Odelia, Inspekteur) is owned by Hester and Sasha Stewart.
The ownership issues were last reported in 2012, when the conflict prevented the sale of the stallion.
Great Britain’s Dujardin competed “Uti” in 2013 before Hester took over again briefly. Then Dujardin started riding him again in early 2014. The pair won the London Olympic CDI-W Grand Prix and placed second in the freestyle last December.
