Carl Hester – författare

Carl Hester is one of the greatest ever equestrians, leading Great Britain to Gold Medal victory at the London 2012 Olympics. In these vibrant memoirs, he tells the incredible story of the passion for horse-riding which revolutionised his life and made him the champion he is today.Carl grew up on the remote Channel Island of Sark, moving to the UK mainland at the age of 16 to work with horses, mainly as a way to leave home. He could never have predicted what a great affinity he would have for dressage. Carl's career enjoyed a stratospheric rise as he progressed from working as a groom/rider to riding international dressage horses full time for renowned owners Dr and Mrs Bechtolsheimer, to training his own horses, and other top riders, to international success.Carl's early career revealed someone capable of monumental achievements. He provides a rare insight into both the people and the horses that drove him to victory, initially the skewbald mare Jolly Dolly on which he won the 1985 Young Riders Dressage Championship. During the early 1990s he rode in the World Championships, the European Championships and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, becoming Great Britain's youngest ever rider to compete in the Games. His riding skills have increased with age, culminating in the hugely successful years as part of the Gold Medal teams that won the 2011 European Dressage Championships and, of course, that made history at London 2012. He achieved both feats on the same extraordinary horse, Uthopia, while as a trainer he produced the even more remarkable combination of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro.A first-class sportsman and a witty and engaging writer, Carl now offers his admirers the opportunity to read an intelligent, humorous and, above all, inspiring account of his life - from the ups and downs of his career to the motivations and techniques which have helped him to win 66 national titles, represent Team GB at four Olympic Games, two World Championships and seven European Championships, and become one of the best riders - and horsemen - in the world.

The second book in a series for children that tells the real-life story of Valegro, informally known as Blueberry. Valegro! Everyone has heard of the most famous dressage horse in the world, star of two Olympic Games, known at home as Blueberry. The second book in The Blueberry Stories documents his phenomenal rise to fame, brought to life by his trainer and co-owner, Carl Hester, told to equestrian author Janet Rising. The little brown horse has to learn his craft and it isn’t long before Carl has him entered for some important competitions. But will Blueberry be able to display his amazing potential? Will Carl be pleased with his pupil and continue training? Or will the prejudices of the other horses he encounters, who look down on him because of his lack of height, affect Blueberry’s confidence? Valegro – The Early Years continues Blueberry’s story in his own words and not only tells his life before he became famous, but gives an insight into one of the world’s top dressage yards, together with all its inhabitants. Follow Blueberry’s amazing journey as he works hard to follow his dream of becoming the best dressage horse the world has ever seen. This book continues the series and includes learning and technical aspects to pass on some equestrian knowledge and morals in a fun and friendly way, edited to Key Stage 2 making them suitable for use in schools and learning programmes. Ideal for readers aged 7-12, the young at heart and all animal lovers.