11 min read Last updated: January 2026 Planning a comeback under scrutiny and keen to rebuild ring confidence without risking welfare or reputation? This playbook distils Charlotte Dujardins measured return into actionable steps you can copystart domestically, rotate horses, manage permissionsand includes a simple 12week UK schedule to rebuild scores, confidence and selection credentials. Quick Summary Short on time? Here are the key takeaways. Area: Comeback Blueprint What To Do: Map 12 weeks: start one level below your peak, increase frequency, hold the level once scores stabilise, then step up. Rehearse travel/warmup/test routines at home. Why It Matters: A staged plan rebuilds confidence and ring craft without overfacing horse or rider. Common Mistake: Jumping straight to big classes before consistency is proven. Area: Start Domestic What To Do: Choose quiet UK venues (e.g., Hunters, Hartpury) and enter two classes per outing. Aim for relaxed, accurate tests over 70% before levelling up. Why It Matters: Lowkey starts reduce pressure and variables so you can refine basics. Common Mistake: Chasing highprofile arenas too soon. Area: Rotate Horse String What To Do: Campaign 23 suitable horses, rotating starts to share workload and build depth. Track each horses recovery and way of going in a simple diary. Why It Matters: A balanced string keeps form high without overusing one horse. Common Mistake: Overstarting a single horse to chase results. Area: Selection & Entries What To Do: Compete domestically under BD rules; apply to British Dressage for FEI selection only once youre reliably 73%+ and horses are fit. Keep passports, vaccinations and registrations current early. Why It Matters: Correct permissions and admin prevent refusals and lastminute stress. Common Mistake: Requesting internationals before scores and paperwork back you up. Area: WelfareFirst Training What To Do: Film two sessions weekly, audit contact and aid use, and set red lines (no excessive rein pressure or repeated whip strikes). Step back if a movement needs stronger aids. Why It Matters: Visible best practice protects the horse and your career. Common Mistake: Riding through tension with more leg or whip. Area: Handle Scrutiny What To Do: Keep statements minimal and let tidy, consistent tests speak; share occasional clips of quiet riding and stretchy work. Choose venues where you and the horse are relaxed. Why It Matters: Controlled messaging and clean performance rebuild trust faster than words. Common Mistake: Overexplaining online while results and pictures say otherwise. Area: Autumn/Winter Plan What To Do: Prioritise indoor fixtures (Hartpury, Wellington), stack two starts per outing, and set a weatherwindow policy to avoid unsafe travel. Lighten workload DecJan with hacking and basics. Why It Matters: Smart scheduling preserves confidence, soundness and momentum through UK weather. Common Mistake: Forcing entries in high winds, ice or deep going. Area: Score Benchmarks What To Do: Dont move up until youre consistently over 70%; target 73%+ before seeking FEI starts. Practise doubleclean home runs with a 10minute walk break to test repeatability. Why It Matters: Dataled progression builds a strong selection case and ring stamina. Common Mistake: Levelhopping after one flashy test. In This Guide When did Charlotte Dujardin return, and what did she win first? What are her international results since the comeback? Can she target LA 2028, and what entries require permission? How should you structure your own comeback season? How do you train hard without crossing welfare lines? How should you handle scrutiny and protect your reputation after a break? How should you plan your UK autumn/winter competition schedule? Charlotte Dujardin is winning again. After serving an FEI suspension prompted by a training video, she returned to competition in July 2025 and has since gone nine-for-nine across domestic and international tests with scores up to 78.67%.Key takeaway: Dujardins measured comeback starting quietly at home, building depth with multiple horses, and keeping training impeccably welfarefocused is the playbook UK riders should follow when returning to the centre line under scrutiny.When did Charlotte Dujardin return, and what did she win first?Dujardin made her competitive return on 27 July 2025 at Hunters Equestrian, winning Advanced Medium 3 on 74.46% and Advanced Medium 4 on 76.71% with Special Effekt. This came after a provisional suspension began on 23 July 2024 and a oneyear FEI ban and fine were imposed, with the suspension completed in December 2025.Gloucestershires Hunters Equestrian provided a lowkey, domestic springboard under British Dressage rules. Returning at Advanced Medium allowed her to re-establish accuracy, relaxation and ring craft without the pressure of immediate Grand Prix starts. Choosing a contained indoor-style environment in the UK summer-to-autumn window also reduced weather variables and travel stress for a horse resuming mileage.Within weeks she broadened the plan: at Hartpury University she put big medium marks on the board with Secret Agent to 78.67% and stepped Special Effekt up to a Prix St Georges debut win on 73.97%. The pattern is clear: frequent class starts, calculated level progression, and consistently north of 73% to build form and confidence.What are her international results since the comeback?At Wellington International (1112 October 2025), Dujardin won both the CDI3* Grand Prix (73.74%) and the Grand Prix Special (72.83%) on Brave Heart II. Her tests were broadly clean, with only a minor trot halfpass issue noted.This was her public international reentry: measured, tidy and emphatically competitive. Brave Heart II provided the horsepower to reassert her technical standard at CDI3* without leaping straight into championship-level pressure. Since then, she has maintained a 100% strike rate across nine tests on different horses the hallmark of a rider managing a string intelligently as well as riding brilliantly.Notably, Dujardin also chose to sell Alive And Kicking (All At Once x Frst Piccolo), once an Olympic-hopeful mount. Moving horses on is a strategic decision top riders make to balance strings, rider time, and owners goals and it often clears bandwidth to campaign the horses best suited to immediate targets.Can she target LA 2028, and what entries require permission?Yes the British Olympic Association has indicated it would welcome Dujardin back for LA 2028 qualification; there are no BOA barriers once the FEI ban has run its course. For internationals, she requires British Dressage (under the British Equestrian Federation) selection approval; domestic UK competitions need no such permission.In practice, thats the pathway weve seen: domestic starts (e.g., Hunters, Hartpury) require standard entries and BD membership/registration rules only. Once you want to compete overseas or at FEIsanctioned events in Britain, you need selection approval from British Dressage as evidenced by her Wellington entry. Riders planning a similar route should map their domestic calendar first, then apply for selection when test quality, horse fitness and recent scores are strong and consistent.Quick tip: Keep your horse passports, vaccinations and registrations current early in the season; selection panels appreciate riders who have their admin immaculate alongside their scores.How should you structure your own comeback season?Start with domestic, confidencebuilding classes at a slightly lower level than your previous peak, then step up once youre reliably over 70% and the work feels repeatable at home and away. This is exactly how Dujardin moved from Advanced Medium to PSG domestically before reappearing at CDI3* Grand Prix.Heres a practical UK template you can adapt: Weeks 14: Enter quiet domestic shows (e.g., venues like Hunters Equestrian or Hartpury). Aim for 7074% to show relaxation and accuracy before moving levels. Weeks 58: Increase frequency slightly. Mix mediums with first PSG starts if scores and way of going are stable. Weeks 912: Hold the level. Win or place consistently; target 73%+ averages as your selection case builds. Only then consider FEI classes.Build a string with range. Dujardins comeback model used versatile 6 to 11yearold horses (e.g., Secret Agent, Brave Heart II) so she could compete often without overloading any one horse. If youre running a two or threehorse string, rotate starts to keep each horse fresh. A simple training diarywhether a notebook or an applets you track heart rates, recovery, and scores against conditions and venues.At Just Horse Riders, we recommend setting your return to form checklist before the first start: Tack fit verified (especially girths and saddles) and comfortchecked weekly. Gymnastic basics banked: transitions, straightness, and lateral work without tension. Travel routine rehearsed: load, travel, warmup, test, and cooldown times rehearsed at home.For kit, keep it practical and compliant: Choose FEIcompliant dressage whips and keep aids light. Your third leg is precision, not punishment. For autumn travel and chilly collecting rings, pack breathable rugs; see our curated winter turnout rugs or consider performance options from LeMieux for smart show-day layering. Protect legs with supportive boots; our horse boots and bandages selection covers everyday schooling and competition needs. Refresh your show wardrobe to meet BD standards and look ringready from day one browse womens competition clothing for jackets, shirts and breeches that perform under pressure.Pro tip: Bank double clean runs at home. Ride a test start-to-finish twice in one schooling session, with a 10-minute walk break between. If both runs are accurate and relaxed, youre ready to take it on the road.How do you train hard without crossing welfare lines?Record your schooling, audit your aids, and follow FEIaligned, horsefriendly training principles that avoid tension and coercion. A single careless video can undo years of work, so your best protection is visible best practice every day.Dujardins ban followed a video showing repeated whipping during training and carried a fine of nearly 99,000 alongside a years suspension. The lesson for every rider is straightforward: if it wouldnt look right on camera, dont do it and if your horse cant offer a movement without escalating pressure, the answer is to go back a step in training, not forward into stronger aids.Be careful what you wish for, warned Carl Hester (Olympic gold medallist and British team rider) about FEI rules revisions as welfare debates intensify. His point: poorly considered changes can ripple through the sport in unintended ways.Laura Tomlinson (Olympic medallist) has cautioned that dressage faces a turning point under public scrutiny on welfare and judging; if traditions dont evolve, the sport risks being shut down.Put welfare at the centre of your programme: Film two sessions a week. Review contact, leg and whip use, and the horses expression. Save clips that show your standard. Set red lines: no excessive rein pressure, no repeated whip strikes, no riding through clear signs of stress (tail swishing, grinding, irregular steps). Keep your tack fair. Check noseband tightness with a proper twofinger gap, and ensure girths arent overtightened across the sternum. Prioritise recovery: cooling legs, walking off, and prompt grooming. Our grooming essentials help you spot heat, swellings, or rubs early. Fuel the work: discuss electrolyte and joint support with your vet or nutritionist and browse targeted supplements to support your horses workload.Quick tip: Swap add more leg for improve the balance. Many resistance issues vanish if you ride a clearer line, rebalance the canter, and allow the neck. Correct biomechanics beat stronger aids every time.How should you handle scrutiny and protect your reputation after a break?Keep statements limited early on and let consistent, tidy tests do the talking; target lowkey wins before stepping into marquee arenas. Dujardins choice to start domestically, then pick a contained, quality CDI (Wellington) delivered exactly that.In the social media age, you need a plan as robust as your daily warmup: Ring craft over razzle-dazzle: stability scores above 70% build your selection case and quieten noise. Publish your standards: occasional training clips that showcase quiet riding, generous pats, and stretchy work do more for your brand than any caption. Control the controllables: immaculate turnout and compliant kit signal professionalism. A correctly fitted hat is nonnegotiable browse approved riding helmets to tick safety and style. Choose your venues: start where you and your horse feel relaxed. Indoor surfaces and familiar stewards can halve your risk of gremlins.At Just Horse Riders, weve seen our customers rebuild smartly by focusing on routines: same warm-up structure, same saddle pad, same lorry parking habits. Predictability often outperforms perfection.How should you plan your UK autumn/winter competition schedule?Favour indoor venues like Hartpury and Wellington from September to November, manage mud and chill with breathable layers, and use regional finals to progress towards nationals. UK autumn conditions suit comebacks if you plan for surfaces, travel, and horse condition.Heres a season builder that mirrors the principles behind Dujardins return: SeptemberOctober: Hartpury/Wellington/Gloucestershire fixtures for consistent footing and stewarding. Stack two starts per outing (e.g., Medium 73, PSG) to build ring stamina. November: Maintain frequency with one start most weekends. Track scores aiming to qualify for regional finals and, in time, national championships. DecemberJanuary: Lighten the load. Cross-train, hack for wind and limb health, and school the basics. If fields are heavy, keep fitness with arena interval sets.Gear that makes winter work: Layering for horses: breathable rugs that shed showers and wick sweat in the lorry; see our proven turnout rug range for winter weights and cuts that suit UK mud and chill. Leg protection: travel and schooling protection matter when youre competing often; explore our horse boots and bandages to prevent knocks and overreaches. Rider comfort: wet or windy collecting rings test concentration; invest in grippy footwear and neat show kit from coats to breeches via our competition clothing picks. Head to toe safety: a snug, standardscompliant hat is essential in winter winds; check fits across our riding helmets. Show-day polish: keep coats clean and skin healthy when bathing is limited; the right grooming tools and wipes go a long way in cold barns. Finishing touches: branded layers that wash well and look sharp; explore performance pieces from LeMieux that stand up to frequent travel.Pro tip: Set a weather window policy. If winds or ice threaten safe travel or footing, push the entry. Protecting confidence and soundness beats chasing one more sheet of paper.FAQsWhen did Charlotte Dujardins suspension end, and could she aim for LA 2028?Her FEI suspension followed a provisional ban from 23 July 2024 and was completed in December 2025. The British Olympic Association has signalled it would welcome her into LA 2028 qualification, so theres no BOA barrier once the FEI process is done.What were her first results back?On 27 July 2025 at Hunters Equestrian (Gloucestershire) she won Advanced Medium 3 on 74.46% and Advanced Medium 4 on 76.71% with Special Effekt, then produced domestic wins at Hartpury up to 78.67% with Secret Agent and a 73.97% PSG debut for Special Effekt.How did she perform at her international comeback?At Wellington International CDI3* (1112 October 2025), she won the Grand Prix on 73.74% and the Grand Prix Special on 72.83% with Brave Heart II, with no major errors beyond a small trot halfpass mistake.Does she need permission to compete now?Not for domestic UK shows entered under British Dressage rules. Yes for FEI internationals British Dressage (under the British Equestrian Federation) must approve selection and entries.What welfare issue led to her ban?A training video showing repeated whipping led the FEI to impose a oneyear suspension and a fine close to 99,000. The incident has intensified focus on horsefriendly training and responsible use of the whip.Is dressage at risk if welfare concerns arent addressed?Olympic medallists Carl Hester and Laura Tomlinson have warned that public scrutiny of welfare and judging could threaten dressages future if traditions dont evolve and rules arent implemented thoughtfully.What can I copy from her comeback for my own season?Start domestically at a slightly lower level, compete frequently for consistent 73%+ marks, rotate a small string of horses to avoid overuse, film and audit training for welfare, and seek BD selection for internationals only when your scores and horse fitness are rock solid.Ready to plan your return? Build your checklist, book those local starts, and stock the lorry with the right kit from breathable winter turnout rugs to protective boots and bandages and ringsmart competition clothing. If you need help choosing, our team at Just Horse Riders is here to help you and your horse step back between the boards with confidence. Shop the Essentials Everything mentioned in this guide, ready to browse. Shop Turnout RugsShop Boots & BandagesShop Competition WearShop Riding HelmetsShop Grooming Kit