LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Charlotte Dujardin won Olympic gold in individual dressage on horse Valegro after a freestyle that celebrated British musical classic Pomp and Circumstance.
Britain, which before taking team gold earlier this week had never won an Olympic dressage medal, now boasts three. Dujardin's team mate Laura Bechtolsheimer won bronze with what she called her best ride of the Games.
Silver medalist Adelinde Cornelissen of the Netherlands, who rode her programme to variations of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, set an Olympic record with her score of 88.196 percent.
But that fell immediately to Dujardin, who scored 90.089 percent. During the team competition, she scored Olympic record marks for her grand prix and grand prix special tests.
The Olympic debutante, who only burst into the top ranks of international dressage last year, wept and hugged Valegro following the medal presentation as the crowd cheered and stomped. The horse is set to be sold after the Games.
"The crowd is incredible," said Bechtolsheimer after her ride and before Dujardin went into the ring.
"They've carried Charlotte, Carl (Hester) and me through each of the rides and carried us to the gold medal."
(Reporting by Sarah Edmonds, editing by Mark Meadows)
