Charlotte Dujardin is coming to H&C in an exclusive documentary about her trip to India with Brooke.
Global ambassador
Charlotte is a global ambassador for Brooke, an animal welfare charity dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules in developing countries.
To see and experience first hand the work the charity carries out, Charlotte and her friend and fellow dressage rider Alice Oppenheimer, travelled to India where Brooke runs one of its biggest programmes.
The triple Olympic gold medallist visited small villages on the outskirts of New Delhi as well as Dewa Equine Fair, near Lucknow in Northern India.
Kinder training
As well as observing Brooke’s incredible work Charlotte helped show horse owners kinder training methods, showing photos on her phone of her riding Valegro.
According to Brooke senior media officer Jamie Whear, who was also on the trip, Charlotte wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
“She really got stuck in,” explains Jamie. “At the equine fair, Charlotte found a foal that couldn’t walk and she picked it up and brought it over to the clinic. She then helped the vets try and revive him. Sadly the foal died a few days later.”
Personal account
Charlotte’s Journey to India is a personal and powerful account of her trip, with Charlotte reflecting on what she saw there and how she wants to help the charity carry on its critical work.
One of the hardest things she found about the trip was the equine fair, due to the sheer numbers of horses there, many of which were severely malnourished.
Brooke ran a pop-up clinic at the fair, offering veterinary treatment and workshops on equine welfare. A key part of the charity’s work is to advise and inform the owners, who often don’t have the knowledge or resources to care for their animals.
‘Rollercoaster of emotions’
“I felt a rollercoaster of emotions,’ said Charlotte. “The progress I saw being made, the differences the charity is making to these animals and the people who rely on them for their daily survival, are so significant and real, it’s inspiring. But it was also devastating to see how so many horses, mules and donkeys are suffering.
“There is so much more to be done, and I’d urge all horse lovers out there to give whatever they can to help Brooke keep doing what it’s doing and extend its help to more of these animals.”
Since her trip Charlotte has attended a number of events for Brooke, to share her experiences in India and talk about the work they do. She was even seen at Your Horse Live shaking a donation tin.
“Charlotte is a great ambassador for Brooke as she can get people interested in what we do, and get our message across,” said Jamie.
Don’t miss Charlotte’s Journey to India when it premieres on Sunday 17 December at 8pm on Sky 253 and online via H&C Play or Amazon Video. The programme will then be available to watch on Catch Up.