SIX-TIME Olympic medallist Charlotte Dujardin is expected to be awarded the honorary title of Freewoman of the Forest of Dean following her successes at the Tokyo games this summer.

Ms Dujardin, who lives in Newent, became Britain’s most decorated female Olympian at this year’s games when she won double bronze in the team and individual dressage events.

And now Forest of Dean District Council is considering a proposal to award her the freedom of the Forest in recognition of her exceptional equestrian sporting accomplishments.

District councillors will discuss the proposals at a meeting this Thursday (September 2).

If approved, a formal ceremony to present the honour will be organised later this year.

Charlotte and her trainer Carl Hester are Britain’s most successful dressage riders, both of whom live and train in the Forest of Dean.

The six-time Olympian has mentored Ms Dujardin throughout her career to date and the pair are both based at his yard near Newent.

As well as her double bronze at this year’s games, Charlotte’s Olympic achievements include an individual gold medal and team silver at the Rio 2016 games and double gold at London 2012.

In Tokyo, she became the first British woman Olympian to win six medals at the games, as she added to her team dressage bronze with the same medal in the individual event on her fledgling horse Gio, who she affectionately calls "Pumpkin".

She finished the games as Britain’s joint-most accomplished female Olympian, after cyclist Laura Kenny won gold to draw level.

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Before London 2012, she won the Horse of the Year Show competition four times and was also a winner at Hickstead on three occasions.

Charlotte and her horse Valegro also set a new Grand Prix Special world record in April 2012 with an 88.022 per cent score, and there is now a "dancing" bronze statue of Valegro in Newent Town Centre.

She has also been European Champion, World Champion and holds all three World Records in dressage.

In 2014, she was announced as The Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswoman of the Year, after winning the Federation Equestre Internationale championship and BT Action Woman of the Year.

Her equestrian success started early when she came second in her first pony show within two months of her third birthday, and she became a groom when she left school aged 16.

Her mother then used inheritance from Charlotte’s grandmother to buy her first horse, which kick-started her career.

She first met Carl Hester when she arrived at his yard for some lessons in early 2007, and he asked her to stay on for 10 days to cover for a staff member who was on leave.

She has worked and trained at the yard ever since.

Charlotte has received two prestigious national honours since her Olympic successes in 2012, including being appointed Officer of the British Empire in the 2013 New Year Honours and Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 New Year Honours, both for services to equestrianism.

In 2017, she also received an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of Gloucestershire.