Charlotte Dujardin is no stranger to winning and she took her customary place at the top of the line-up in the Arbonne Dressage Future Elite Championship at the Horse of the Year Show last weekend.

The Enfield-born dressage athlete rode eight-year-old gelding Hawtins Delicato and delivered a test of 78.62 per cent from the judge to win ahead of Sonnar Murray-Brown in second and Tom Goode in third.

Dujardin is now spending more time looking for the next superstar and is concentrating on bringing on her young horses in the sport and told Horse and Country Delicato could be one to watch.

“He is going to be a top horse, really special. He is only eight, and that was only his second competition to music,” added the 31-year-old.

“It was also the first time in a massive indoor arena for him as well, so he dealt with all the pressure and the hot atmosphere really well.

“He was a bit tense at the start, but as I went through the test, he settled and I was really happy with him.”

Dujardin is no stranger at competing in the HOYS having started her riding career in the show ring.

She said: “There are lots of childhood memories for me being here, with competing in showing classes and winning a couple of times.

“Going into the main arena under the spotlight was always every girl’s dream, so to come here and ride here again, to win and go and then do it all again with the presentation was brilliant. It was so much fun.”

The win comes after the news was confirmed three weeks ago her beloved Valegro will retire at the end of the year.

Part-owner Carl Hester said the horse will take part in a retirement ceremony at London’s Olympia Horse Show at the end of the year and will not contest in any more shows competitively.

But the demand for the 15-year-old gelding still remains high as Dujardin and Valegro travelled to the States to compete at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in September. Also known as Blueberry, he has only been ridden by Charlotte for a number of years now but another rider may pick up his reigns.

“Charlotte was busy at the National Championships at Stoneleigh so I rode him and had a lovely time,” Hester told Horse and Hound.

“If Charlotte’s OK with it, then I might ride him at events sometimes in future. We have decided that Valegro will retire from competition at Olympia this year. The old energetic Valegro is back and this is how we want people to remember him.”

“Charlotte doesn’t need to be judged on him again. They have nothing more to prove.”

The dressage star duo successfully defended their individual freestyle gold title at the Rio Olympics as they logged a new Olympic record score of 93.857% and have won 49 of their 61 international grand prix starts.

Hester started the horse himself as he rode the four-year-old, at the time, to glory at the national championships.