Olympics: Harry Charles leads GB to gold in show jumping

PARIS: Great Britain’s (GB) Harry Charles made history by winning gold in team show jumping at the Olympics on Friday.

The show jumping competitor followed in the footsteps of his father, Peter Charles who secured gold in London Olympics 2012.

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Hardly in his teens, Harry Charles was inspired to shift his focus from golf to equestrian sports after watching his father’s victory. Twelve years later, he managed to achieve his own Olympic gold, joining forces with former teammates Scott Brash and Ben Maher.

The Olympic athlete’s win is significant as he and his father, Peter, are the first father and son duo to both win Olympic gold for GB since rowers Dickie and Charles Burnell in 1948.

During the final, Charles rode Romeo 88 to a perfect round, while Ben Maher on Dallas Vegas Batilly also delivered a faultless performance.

Scott Brash then took the stage, needing to maintain the lead. Despite intense pressure, Brash and his horse, Jefferson, achieved another clear round, securing the covted Olympic gold. The GB team finished with just two points, ahead of the United Stats and France.

Charles’s achievement was all the more remarkable as he had recently recovered from a broken arm. His school friends, who had planned their trip well in advance, cheered him on with a flag bearing Romeo’s name.

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Scott Brash called the victory one of the most intense moments of his career and praised his horse’s performance. Ben Maher, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, noted that such flawless performances are rare in show jumping.