Combining a budding dressage profession with learning drugs at college takes a significantly dedicated particular person, and Charlotte McDowell is definitely proving herself to be simply that. Charlotte, generally known as Charlie, is a second-year medical pupil on the College of Birmingham, and juggles her difficult diploma with not simply driving and competing her personal horse, however driving for none apart from Charlotte Dujardin.
On the 2022 Nationwide Dressage Championships, Charlotte Dujardin rode her eight-year-old mare Alive And Kicking to win the prix st georges title, earlier than the eye-catching black mare returned to the ring to win the younger rider title underneath Charlie.
Charlie has been driving and competing the All At As soon as daughter as much as PSG stage since 2020, partly due to the pandemic.
“Covid meant my A ranges received cancelled, and so in the summertime of 2020 I used to be working as a dental receptionist in my mum’s dental apply, “ says Charlie, who grew up in Gloucestershire doing displaying and dealing hunters, earlier than catching the dressage bug and coaching with Peter Storr, whom she describes as “a giant a part of the rider I’m now”.
“Alan Davies retains his Shetland ponies at our home, principally in our again backyard, and he knew I had free time that summer season so he requested me if I’d do some cowl work, together with hacking out, for him at Carl Hester’s whereas he was on vacation. I used to be so excited – I had been to the yard earlier than, however now I may expertise it correctly,” says Charlie.
“Carl was so beneficiant. He gave me some classes on Uthopia, which was insane. Alan got here again from his vacation, however I simply saved going to the yard.”
Just a few weeks later, Charlotte Dujardin requested Charlie if she’d wish to have a experience on Audrey, the mare Charlie mentioned she had fallen in love with at first sight.
“Audrey was already my favorite to hack, however once I rode her correctly for the primary time, Charlotte mentioned, ‘It’s the right image’,” remembers Charlie. “I might have been glad simply to experience her the as soon as, however Charlotte steered I do some exhibits along with her and all of it went from there. I felt some stress however I simply needed to do the perfect I may, and it’s been a extremely optimistic expertise.”
Charlie continued along with her driving even after starting her diploma in 2021, though she admits that her first yr was tense as she received to grips with how she may match all the pieces in.
“A number of individuals instructed me doing drugs was a nasty concept however I ignored them. I at all times needed to be each a health care provider and a high dressage rider,” she says, including that she hopes to enter the fields of both psychiatry or genetics in future.
Charlotte McDowell: ‘Studying from Carl and Charlotte has actually helped’
Since beginning her second yr at Birmingham, Charlie has centered on her personal horse, the 12-year-old mare M Obarma, who was purchased from Denmark in 2018 to observe within the footsteps of her worldwide youth experience Alivia.
“Obi is so delicate and highly effective so it’s been a journey along with her, however within the final yr she has actually reworked,” says Charlie. “Studying from Carl and Charlotte has actually helped along with her, too; their coaching philosophy, incorporating a number of hacking and simply two days education every week, has actually labored with Obi. She has stepped as much as PSG this yr and my dream is to get her to grand prix.
“Combining all the pieces takes a variety of organisation. I am going dwelling two days every week to experience, so with weekends I handle to experience three or 4 instances every week. Once I’m in Birmingham I am going to the health club as a lot as I can, which helps my health. I handle to see buddies, however I’d by no means hand over driving to go on an evening out. For the time being it’s manageable, though it’s going to get more durable over the following few years. Fortunately I’ve an incredible tutor and a variety of help at uni.”
With Charlotte Dujardin anticipating a child in January, Carl has taken over driving Audrey since Charlie has been again at uni.
“However Charlotte has requested me to assist out over Christmas although, and I prepare with Carl and Charlotte on Obi too. I’ve to do a actuality examine each once in a while; I really feel just like the luckiest particular person ever.”
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