| Nicknames |
Grandad (everythinghorseuk.co.uk, 15 Jun 2020; horsetalk.co.nz, 18 Dec 2015) |
| Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning gold in team dressage at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (metro.news, 07 May 2019) |
| Most influential person in career |
Horse trainer Wilfried Bechtolsheimer. (premierequestrian.com, 19 Feb 2019; carlhester.co.uk, 26 Oct 2015) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"I love riding, so that will never disappear. Competing isn't my huge joy. I do it, because I want to go to championships. If I am one of the top four in my country, then I'll go. I want to continue riding, train other people. The challenge I love about riding is training." (eurodressage.com, 20 Apr 2020) |
| Awards and honours |
In 2021 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Equestrian Writers Association [BEWA]. (equnews.com, 18 Dec 2021)
He was named Channel Islands Sports Personality of the Year for 2016. (horseandhound.co.uk, 01 Feb 2017)
He was the recipient of the 2016 Global Dressage Visionary Award. (eurodressage.com, 22 Feb 2016)
He received the 2015 British Horse Society Queen's Award for Equestrianism. (bhs.org.uk, 19 May 2015)
He was named the 2014 Best Rider of the Year by the French equestrian yearbook 'L'Annee Hippique'. (itv.com, 18 Nov 2014)
He was named Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2013 New Year's Honours list. (carlhesterrein.co.uk, 11 May 2013)
In 2011 he was named the British Olympic Association [BOA] Equestrian Athlete of the Year. (yahoo.com, 21 Dec 2011) |
| Other information |
STABLES
In 2004 he set up his own stables at Oaklebrook Mill near Newent, England, where he coaches riders and trains horses for dressage. (carlhester.co.uk, 01 Jan 2021; horseandhound.co.uk, 21 Mar 2018; fandiassociation.co.uk, 21 Aug 2015)
AUTHOR
He co-wrote 'Down to Earth Dressage' with Bernadette Faurie and 'Real Life Dressage' with Polly Ellison. He has also released an autobiography called 'Making it Happen' and a book about the horse Valegro, which Charlotte Dujardin won gold with at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. (carlhester.co.uk, 27 Apr 2016; cotswoldlife.co.uk, 14 Dec 2015)
VALEGRO STATUE
In October 2020 a bronze statue of the horse Valegro was unveiled in Newent, England. The horse trained at Hester's stable in Newent, and was ridden by Charlotte Dujardin to gold medals at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016. "He changed so many of our lives and elevated our sport so this is a really proud moment for myself, Charlotte and everyone who has been involved with this very special horse." (horseandhound.co.uk, 23 Feb 2021; fei.org, 04 Dec 2020) |
| General highlights |
He won team dressage Olympic gold at the London 2012 Games. He has competed at the 1992, 2004, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 Games. |
| Milestones |
At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo he became the first equestrian to represent Great Britain in dressage at six editions of the Olympic Games. His bronze medal in the team event in Tokyo made him the first male British equestrian to have won three career Olympic medals in dressage. (SportsDeskOnline, 23 Sep 2021)
At the 2012 Olympic Games in London he was part of the first British dressage team, alongside Laura Tomlinson and Charlotte Dujardin, to win an Olympic gold medal in dressage. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jun 2021)
At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona he became the youngest male British equestrian to compete in dressage at an Olympic Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jun 2021) |
FEI Database
Carl Hester MBE 
Carl Hester 
Hester Dressage 
Carl Hester MBE 
