• British rider returns to high-level competition in London

• Triple Olympic champion speaks of ‘real buzz to be back’

Charlotte Dujardin has admitted feeling “very emotional” at the warm reception received from supporters in the former Olympic dressage champion’s first major event after serving a one-year ban from the sport following a horse-whipping controversy.

The 40-year-old is competing at the two-day FEI Dressage World Cup in London, her biggest event since she was banned just before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Last July a video came to light in which the Olympian was shown whipping a horse more than 20 times in a minute while coaching a young rider, resulting in condemnation from within and outside the sport.