‘Carl and Charlotte: Going Dutch’, a brand new ‘Carl and Charlotte’ documentary will premiere on Horse & Country TV (Sky 280) on Wednesday 14th May at 9pm. The show follows the two London 2012 Olympic Gold medallists Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin travel to Holland and whilst there go in search of a new equine superstar.
The trio have taken British dressage to new heights and with Valegro just entering his prime in the discipline there are many exciting times ahead for the Gloucestershire-based team. However, operating in such a competitive environment, there’s no place for complacency and Carl and Charlotte are keen to make hay while the sun is shining. Followed by Horse & Country TV cameras, the pair travel to Holland and embark on the quest to find the next dressage superstar.
Their visit is timed to coincide with the KWPN stallion show, where they get to witness the scale, the spectacle, and the rigours of one of the world’s top breeding programmes; Carl sits tight on board a fiery five year old stallion, and Valegro gets crowned KWPN horse of the year in front of an adoring crowd. Viewers also get an exclusive insight into Carl’s own breeding programme, when he introduces his home-grown future stars including Euphoria, who combines the medal winning genes of Valegro and Uthopia.
“Carl and Charlotte became household names overnight back in 2012 but our viewers have known about them for a long time before that. We know there’s a real appetite for finding out more about the lives and work of the pair,” said Jonathan Rippon, Head of Programming, Horse & Country TV.
“Carl proved his credentials as a horse scout by seeing the potential in a young Valegro while in Holland ten years ago and bringing him over to Britain to train. So, when we heard he was planning another foray to the Netherlands with Charlotte we knew it would make great TV and sent our crew with them.”
“We’ve had an unbelievable run so far with Valegro achieving success beyond all expectations and we’re fortunate that he’s still relatively young for a Dressage horse,” said Carl Hester.
Says Horse & Country Producer/Director Kim Lomax “it was a fantastic privilege to accompany Carl and Charlotte on this trip, and we’ve been able to give viewers a real insight into the way they search for talented young horses. And as for the scale and the atmosphere of the KWPN stallion show, well that has to be seen to be believed!”
Carl and Charlotte: Going Dutch will be broadcast on Horse & Country TV on 14 May 2014 at 9pm. Reruns of the show will be broadcast on the channel at various intervals for the remainder of May and during June. A full list of the rerun schedule can be found here.