Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin will be the recipients of this year's prestigious “Médaille de l’École d’Èquitation Espagnole de Vienne,' which is awarded those equestrians that ride according to the principles of classical horsemanship.
The Medal will be given to Hester and Dujardin during the “Fête Impériale”, the summer ball of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria, on 23 June 2017.
2016 was the first time that the two awards were given for outstanding achievements in the riding and equestrian sport. The two awards are the “Prix de l’École d’Èquitation Espagnole de Vienne” and the “Médaille de l’École d’Èquitation Espagnole de Vienne”. In 2016, Kristina Bröring-Sprehe and the Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein family were the recipients of those distinctions.
A specialised jury decides on the award winners and will give the medal of honour when Carl and Charlotte attend the ball in June. The jury is chaired by Sissy Max-Theurer and consists of personalities from the international and Austrian horse sports community: Gary Rockwell, Ghislain Fouarge, Thomas Lang, Klaus Haim, Michael Enzinger as well as Elisabeth Gürtler.
The award in the shape of “Maestoso Superba”, a stallion performing a Levade, is made of 12,527 crystals and only a very limited number of ten pieces was produced by the Tyrolean Company Swarovski.
Hester stated, “It’s incredible to receive this prestigious award from such a distinguished School. I have loved producing horses all of my life, so to be recognized for this award is an honour and I am very grateful to the committee for this privilege. I look forward to attending the ball in June with Charlotte and to being a part of such a beautiful event”
Dujardin added that, “I was thrilled to hear that Carl and I are to receive this award. I am so passionate about our horses so to receive this honour from the Spanish Riding School, an institution that inspires millions, is so humbling and I thank the committee so much for recognizing us in this way. Carl has been my mentor, trainer and friend for over ten years now so I look forward to sharing this special occasion with him”
Photos © SRS - Astrid Appels
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