Where Are they Now? Dark Legend

Focus

F.O.C.U.S.

The tall black Dutch warmblood gelding Dark Legend was Charlotte Fry's professional career-starting ride which made her break through in international Grand Prix sport possible. He took her from Young Riders into the Under 25 division and then in the senior Grand Prix ranks before Everdale took her to the 2021 Olympics and Glamourdale to the 2022 World Champion's title.

Dark Legend LH hasn't been to a CDI show since January 2023. Where is he now?

From Fry's to Van Olst

Dark Legend is a 2008 born KWPN gelding by Zucchero out of Zoe (by Tango x Doruto). He is bred by Nobus-De Potter family in Eede, The Netherlands.

For Fry a career in horses was the only path in life, born to British Olympian Laura Fry, and grown up on a yard amongst horses. The untimely passing of Laura in 2012, when Charlotte was 16, led "Lottie" to move to Van Olst Horses in The Netherlands upon the recommendation of Carl Hester.

From the age of 14 Charlotte Fry had lessons with Olympic rider Carl Hester every month. Carl’s yard was close to her mother’s yard. When she was 16 she went to work there one week each month in exchange for lessons. In 2014 Carl gave 18-year old Lottie the final push to make the move to Holland.

At the 2017 European Young Riders Championships

Lottie had started her career on pony Andexer, representing Great Britain the first time at the 2010 European Pony Championships. In 2013 she moved to junior level with Remming and went to the Euros, while in 2014 Z Flemmenco took her to her third Euros. In 2015 she moved up to Young Riders level with him and went European Young Riders Championships in Vidauban.

She rode her first international Under 25 Grand Prix tests on Anne van Olst's Olympic mount Clearwater at the 2015 CDI Roosendaal Indoor, but between 2016 and 2017 she mainly stayed at Young Riders level with Z Flemmenco, Black Pearl, Lord Leatherdale and Dark Legend.

The Rise of Dark Legend

At Van Olst Horses Lottie was given a string of horses to ride, amongst them the tall and handsome Dark Legend, which she took over from assistant rider Carlos Caetano. Lottie debuted Dark Legend at national Prix St Georges level in 2016.

Gold at the 2018 European U25 Championships

The pair made its international show debut at Young Riders level at the CDI Compiegne in May 2016, followed by showing him in Roosendaal. An almost one year break followed and in 2017 they returned to the young rider scene at the CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland where they won the team test. From there they went to Roosendaal and Hagen and were nominated on the British team for the 2017 European Young Riders Championships in Roosendaal, where they were sixth in the Kur to Music.

In 2018 they moved to Under 25 Grand Prix level, debuting at the CDI Nieuw en St. Joosland, where they placed third. From there they went to Compiegne and Bolesworth, where they showed in the senior ranks, but by July dropped back to U25 level at the CDI Leudelange. At the 2018 European Under 25 Championships in Exloo they won team bronze, individual test silver, and kur gold.

Senior Team Call Up

Lottie's first senior team call up came in 2019 when she was just 23. After competing Dark Legend in the senior ranks in Lier, Compiegne, Geesteren and Aachen, she was nominated on the British team for the 2019 European Championships in Rotterdam, where Team GB placed fourth. Individually she was 17th in the Grand Prix Special.

Lottie finished the year 2019 with World Cup starts in Stuttgart; Mechelen and Gothenberg but in 2020 the World Cup Finals were cancelled due to corona. They returned to the CDI ring in September 2020 in Hagen.

By that time Everdale had joined Lottie's Grand Prix ranks and he became her number one ride, even though Lottie and Dark Legend motored on in 2021 with top placings in Exloo, Compiegne and Aachen. She went to the Tokyo Olympics with Everdale. Dark Legend was her direct reserve for the 2021 European Championships in Hagen.

In 2022 Lottie and Dark Legend made it to the World Cup Finals in Leipzig, qualifying in London and 's Hertogenbosch. At the Final they were fourth in the Kur to Music. 2022 was the year that Glamourdale broke through at Grand Prix level.

Lottie competed Dark Legend only once internationally in 2023 at the CDI Exloo in January 2023, securing a double win.

Where is He Now?

Dark Legend totally disappeared from the show scene since then.

Lottie did not reply to any of our questions about Dark Legend's whereabouts, but Anne van Olst clarified the situation.

"Dark Legend is here with us, happy and fit," Anne van Olst explained. "He's been trained as normal, only Lottie has enough to ride with her top and upcoming horses, so she doesn't ride him much. He's a fantastic schoolmaster and I have to say he's in super shape."

Dark Legend still gets his training, but also enjoys his time in the field with other oldies at Van Olst stables.

"He's been (in the field) with the oldies his entire life," said Anne. "He's happy in the field all day after his training session."

When asked if he'll ever return to competition, Anne replied, "not with Lottie but maybe with someone else."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sharon Vandeput (@sharonvandeput)