( CNN ) -- Sometimes the price of success is losing the thing you most cherish . For Charlotte Dujardin , every triumph in the sporting arena seemingly took her another step closer to an uncertain future . Billed as `` The Girl with the Dancing Horse '' after her heroics at the London 2012 Olympics , she feared that every time she competed would be the last waltz with her equine partner . The mere thought of losing her `` best friend '' reduced Dujardin to tears . Valegro , the horse on which she won double gold , on which she was crowned double European champion and on which she aims to repeat the feat at August 's world championships , was attracting big offers . He was valued at $ 10 million but , after much speculation , Valegro 's `` For Sale '' sign has finally come down -- meaning they now have the chance to continue a remarkable record-setting run together . `` His future is secure -- he is never going to be sold , we have him forever , '' the British rider says of the 12-year-old horse , which is co-owned by her mentor and fellow Olympic champion Carl Hester and Roly Luard . `` It 's an unbelievable relief . It was really , really hard knowing that every competition we did might be our last one . I never knew what was going on , I was too afraid to ask , '' Dujardin tells CNN . Hester , who won team dressage gold alongside Dujardin at London 2012 , hopes to set up a small syndicate to cover the costs of keeping Valegro in competition . `` There will be others I can sell on but this one is special , '' the 46-year-old told Horse and Country earlier this year . `` I did n't want Charlotte to feel like he might be sold -- it 's not great to ride under those conditions . Besides , Valegro has been with us since he was two so whoever we sell him to , are they going to look after him the way we do ? Probably not . '' Dujardin describes Valegro -- more affectionately known as Blueberry at his yard -- as a Ferrari and , to all intents and purposes , she is a Fernando Alonso as she wrestles the ultimate horsepower out of him . `` He 's a real hot horse who likes to work , and he 's just the most willing and comfortable horse to ride , '' she says of their `` telepathic '' partnership . `` He trusts me implicitly , we both have that trust for each other . `` As for me , I just do what I do . I just have a feeling inside me and I ca n't wholly explain that feeling . '' Dujardin is the world No . 1 in dressage , which is split into two events ( the set routine and the freestyle ) and holds the world records in all three elements of her sport -- the freestyle , Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special . Her most recent record came at last month 's Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final in Lyon with a score of 87.129 % comfortably beating her previous milestone of 85.942 set at the European Championships . She scored 92.179 % in the freestyle section . Surely there is a ceiling to the records ? `` Well , you 'd think that but he just gets better every time , '' Dujardin says . `` I do n't know what the limit is although I do believe we can at least beat the freestyle record . There still feels like there 's more to come . '' Dujardin is somewhat disbelieving at the success that she has achieved . It is true that she has n't gone down the typical route . She did not have the privileged upbringing of many of her rivals . Born in Enfield , north London , she only got her chance when her grandmother Joy died , leaving a five-figure inheritance to give Dujardin her the chance to buy her first horse of note . `` It 's odd when I look back , I have to pinch myself sometimes , I honestly ca n't believe it , '' she says . `` I 've done more than I ever dreamed of . I 've just worked hard to get to the top . I 've had so many letters from people saying I 've inspired them to take up riding and that 's an amazing feeling . `` Getting to the top is one thing but staying there is quite another . That 's the difficult bit . '' Dujardin will take a trip down memory lane on Friday when competing at the Royal Windsor Horse Show , one of the first events that she ever competed in as a child and a chance to display her and Valegro 's finery on home soil once more . Her biggest home display will forever be the London 2012 Olympics . The British team had entered it looking for a first Olympic medal in the discipline in over a century , and she ended up picking up two golds ) in the space of just a week . But she admits : `` Life after London was tough . The whole experience was incredible . I 'd just aimed to be there so that was it , I 'd achieved my goal . To get those gold medals was just an unbelievable bonus . `` But after that died down I almost felt a bit depressed -- understandable after such a high . It was difficult coming from doing so little media to suddenly being in the media spotlight . `` People wanted me to do everything , and I found that really , really tough . It was a very difficult time . `` Part of that was down to the uncertainty of not knowing Valegro 's future but obviously that 's all changed . '' Throughout it all , the pair kept on winning and breaking records , but the complete happiness has fully returned in 2014 . In addition , the Olympics has brought her all manner of other unlikely facets to her life , ranging from a friendship with chart-topping singer Leona Lewis , who has come to see her train and compete , to passing on tips to former England footballer Michael Owen on dressage for his daughter , who also rides . None of that has fazed Dujardin , who still bears the same trademark smile that delighted the crowds in London and has made her something of a smiling assassin in which she has decimated her rivals in competition . Just the world title now is left on the to-do list . Should she win that , she says : `` I will have achieved everything in my career at the age of 28 . It 'll be time to retire ! '' But there are no retirement plans . She and Valegro have plenty of competitions ahead of them . But she is relishing their new lease of life together . `` I know I 'll never have another Valegro and this is probably the peak of my career , '' Dujardin says . `` But who cares ? There are thousands of people that would like to have had this opportunity . I 've been lucky to have it , I will always have it and I will enjoy it . '' It is a far cry from the rider that first turned up at the yard of Hester , himself an Olympic champion who described her as Edwina Scissorhands , because of her wooden riding skills akin to the character played by Johnny Depp in the 1990 movie Edward Scissorhands . Hers and Hester 's relationship can still be a volatile one -- Dujardin admitting `` we occasionally scream and shout at each other '' -- but it is clearly stronger for the certainty over Valegro 's future . Dujardin knows she can save the pair 's last dance for some time .
Charlotte also rode to double dressage gold at the 2012 Olympics on horse . But the fear was the pair would be separated with Charlotte up for sale . The partnership is now safe and the pair have gone on to break world records . Dujardin now has the world title in her sights , the one major success missing from her CV .