Dressage joy for Dujardin

Charlotte Dujardin: Won second gold medal of 2012 Olympics

British rider Charlotte Dujardin won her second gold medal of London 2012 as she was crowned Olympic champion in equestrian's individual freestyle dressage at Greenwich Park.

The 27-year-old is only the fourth female Briton to win double gold at one Games after Dame Kelly Holmes, Rebecca Adlington and Laura Trott.

Enfield-born Dujardin, riding Valegro, was the last rider to go in the event and held her nerve to break a third Olympic record in three separate disciplines by scoring 90.089 per cent.

It eclipsed Dutch rider Adelinde Cornelissen and Parzival's score of 88.196 per cent, while Britain's Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris won bronze.

Dujardin, who had not even ridden a competitive grand prix test 20 months ago, added individual gold to the team gold she won earlier this week with Bechtolsheimer and Carl Hester.

She burst into tears when her score flashed up on the scoreboard, while Thursday's two medals have given British equestrian sport its best Olympics of all time.

Medals

Britain won five medals in total - dressage team and individual gold, dressage individual bronze, showjumping gold and eventing silver.

Dujardin's routine to music was crammed with patriotic British tunes such as Land of Hope and Glory and I Vow to Thee, My Country, and also included the chimes of Big Ben.

And Greenwich's main arena reached fever pitch as she became only the second British equestrian athlete to win double gold at one Games, following eventer Richard Meade 40 years ago.

Dujardin had earlier set Olympic records in the grand and grand prix special tests that forged the team competition.

Britain will leave London with three dressage medals having previously won a medal in the discipline in Olympic history.

Bechtolsheimer, who like Dujardin and Hester is based in Gloucestershire, produced a brilliant test for bronze on her 17-year-old Mistral Hojris.

They scored 84.339 per cent for their routine that was based on music from The Lion King.