Carl Hester
One of the most experienced member of the British Team is back for his fourth FEI World Championships with Fiona Bigwood, Mette Dahl and his own Fame.
Carl Hester (58) based in Newent Gloucestershire and originally from Sark, The Channel Islands, with Fiona Bigwood, Mette Dahl and his own Fame (bay, stallion, 16yrs, 16.2hh, Bordeaux 28 x Rhodium, breeder: V. O. F. G. oM. Gerritsen NED) and groom Lucy Scudamore.
Currently ranked sixth in the FEI World Rankings, Carl Hester is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern British dressage. Having represented Great Britain at every Olympic Games since Barcelona in 1992, Carl has amassed an extraordinary championship record spanning more than three decades. His breakthrough came at the 1990 World Equestrian Games before making his Olympic debut alongside Laura Fry, mother of teammate Charlotte Fry, at the 1992 Olympic Games. Since then, Carl has competed at seven Olympic Games, winning Team Gold at London 2012, Team Silver at Rio 2016 and Team Bronze at both Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024. He has also claimed multiple European Championship medals, including team Gold in 2011, 2013 and 2023, as well as team Silver at the 2018 World Equestrian Games. Beyond his own competitive success, Carl has played a pivotal role in the development of British dressage, mentoring many riders up to Olympic and World Champions. Following another successful start to 2026, Carl and Fame have been selected to represent Great Britain at the FEI World Championships in Aachen this summer.
Fame has emerged as Carl's latest championship horse following the retirement of En Vogue. The Bordeaux-sired stallion joined Carl's yard in 2023 and has established himself as one of Britain's leading Grand Prix horses over the past three years. The duo were a part of the Gold medal winning team at the 2023 European Championships that year before going on to be a part of the Bronze medal winning Olympic team in Paris in 2024. The pair have kicked off this year with a double win at CDI5* Doha in Qatar, where they scored 75.848% and 82.975% in the Grand Prix and Freestyle, competed at CDIO5* Fontainebleau in March, and finished their campaign with a double win at Wellington CDI3* in June where they scored 78.261% and 85.210%. Their current personal best scores all come from the 2023 European Championships where they scored 78.540%, 80.106% and 85.461% in the Grand Prix, Special and Freestyle.