Charlotte Dujardin named Sportswoman of the Year

After claiming individual and team dressage gold at the London 2012 Olympics, Dujardin and Valegro were in no mood to slow down, rubberstamping their authority over the last 12 months.

The duo won gold medals in the special and freestyle events at the World Equestrian Games in France, as well as a silver in the team event, meaning Dujardin now holds freestyle and special titles at Olympic, European and world level.

And the 29-year-old insists she will continue to aim high with the Rio 2016 Olympics fast approaching.

"I'm really privileged to be accepting this award and I am so sorry I can't be there," she said.

"I have an incredible relationship with Valegro, I've been working with him for eight years and we know each other inside out.

The only way I can describe him is as being my dance partner and he should be up there receiving that award with me, but he's at home in his stable.

"Hopefully we can get some more medals. I've got the World Cup finals coming up in Las Vegas next year and then it's on to Europeans and Olympics in Rio."

Lizzy Yarnold, who won gold for Britain in the skeleton event at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, took second place with athlete Jo Pavey, who won the 10,000m at the European Championships in August at the age of 40 and took 5,000m bronze behind two Kenyan stars at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, placed third.

Elsewhere, emerging gymnastics superstar Claudia Fragapane was named Young Sportswoman of the Year after an incredibly successful 2014.

The 17-year-old won four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games only eight months after making her senior Great Britain debut, with victory on the final day of competition in the women's individual floor final making Fragapane the first English female to win four gold medals at a single Commonwealth tournament in 84 years.

"I'm just so overwhelmed by it all," Fragapane said. "It's been such an amazing year. To come out and go to Europeans, World and Commonwealths and have such great results was amazing."