Harry Charles and Romeo 88 jumped “probably the best round of my life so far” to boost Britain’s position in the lead of the Olympic team showjumping at Paris 2024, with a superb clear round.
After Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly got the team off to a fantastic start, jumping clear with just one time-fault, Harry and the 15-year-old gelding he owns with Ann Thompson gave a beautiful performance to cross the line with neither jumping nor time-penalties to keep Britain at the top of the pile on one fault.
Their round came four weeks to the day after Harry broke his arm in a fall at Aachen but he rode like the professional he is, and Romeo, his veteran campaigner, flew for him.
“I’m pretty speechless, I need a few more hours I think to reflect and it was the probably the best round of my life, definitely the biggest moment in my career so far ,” he said. “And to have me be good and Romeo come through like that probably the best he’s ever jumped, on this stage and in this moment – we’re really proud of him and hopefully it’s enough now to get something so we’ll have to wait.”
The result on a very tough track puts Britain in the lead after the second rotation of riders, by two penalties from France on three and the US on four; last-minute team addition Karl Cook and Caracole De La Roque jumping clear.
Ireland is in fourth place with two riders gone, on a total of five faults.
2021 Olympic champions Sweden are in seventh place; Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and Zuccero HV had a fence down apiece to put them on a total of eight at this stage.
“The course was a fantastic course again from the course-builder; very fair for the horses but just not good enough riding for me,” Henrik said. “That line that he built very cleverly, so you have to push out of the triple, then it’s the short one down to the plank. And I got trapped in that trap. I didn’t get King Edward back enough and got too deep to the plank and he had it in front.”
Daniel Coyle, who jumped a fabulous clear with his wonder mare Legacy for Ireland, after Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz had clipped the very last fence and added a time-fault, said: “I’m heartbroken for Shane, that early to go things can always happen but such a shame for him and for us but hopefully Cian [O’Connor] can deliver and hopefully we still make podium. We’re still in a great position; to be at this position at the Olympics is also a dream come true.”
Daniel said Legacy is an “amazing” mare.
“She always gives all she’s got and if that ain’t good enough. I don’t want any more,” he said.
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