Charlotte Dujardin has been shortlisted for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Winning statistics
Ten athletes have been nominated, includingfootballer Gareth Bale, gymnast Max Whitlockand Paralympic skier Kelly Gallagher. The current favourites to win areFormula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton and world number one golfer Rory McIlroy.
However, neither can match Charlotte’s form, having become the first British winner of the FEI World Cup Finals in April, and then taking two golds at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games four months later.
With the help of her talented partner Valegro, she is the only British equestrian in history to hold Olympic, World and European titles at the same time. She also holds all three world records in the Grand Prix, Special and Freestyle. And did we mention she’s the world number one dressage rider?
With stats like that, how can she NOT win?
Chosen riders
The last equestrian to win the ‘SPOTY’ award was AP McCoy in 2010, the year he won the Grand National. AP came third last year behind Andy Murray and Leigh Halfpenny.
Before then, it was Zara Phillips in 2006 who last flew the flag for the horse world in the BBC awards. She followed in her mother’s footsteps, with the Princess Royal winning in 1971.
Legendary showjumper David Broome was the first rider to win the award back in 1960.
Vote Charlotte
The public get to decide who wins this year’s coveted award, so it’s up to us to get behind Charlotte.
All voting is done on the night, either by phone or via the BBC website. To vote online, you need to register for a BBC ID. Phone numbers will be released during the live programme on Sunday 14 December on BBC One, 5 live and the BBC Sport website.
In the meantime, the British Equestrian Federation is urging everyone to rally support via social media using #Dujardin4SPOTY.
Read H&C’s Editor Victoria’s blog explaining why we need to vote for Charlotte