British Showjumpers start strongly in Tokyo
Tuesday 03 August 2021
The first leg of the Individual Showjumping competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games has seen the British showjumpers come out and strongly position themselves in equal first place going forward to the Individual Final tomorrow.
First to go Harry Charles, aged 22 and making his Olympic debut, with his own and Ann Thompson’s 12 year-old bay gelding Romeo 88 was the first of the Brits to come forward from the field of seventy-three starters. Looking extremely confident he absolutely came out and delivered the goods when he posted a foot-perfect clear to finish on zero penalties and sit in equal 1st position going forward. Selected as the travelling reserve, he was swapped pre-competition with Holly Smith and Denver to compete as an Individual across today and tomorrow alongside his two fellow British competitors Ben Maher and Scott Brash who coincidentally had ridden alongside Harry’s father Peter when they won Team Gold at London 2012.
About his performance Harry said “I couldn’t ask for a better start really. It felt amazing, I was so focused that I was at fence 11 before I knew it. Being here has been incredible – I like to say that I’ve done a lot of really nice shows and this just puts it into context that our sport is far bigger, this is the absolute pinnacle – to be amongst some of the world’s best athletes, not just in our sport but in all the sports. I’m part of a great Team GB squad.
“I’ve only had Romeo for seven months, so it’s a pretty new partnership. His owner, Ann Thompson, is here today – she’s having a great time and we’re delighted with him. He’s a horse of an amazing calibre and I’ve never really had one like him. I’m so excited for the future because we’re still getting to know each other. He’s a grumpy fellow in the stables, but he comes out and fights so hard – that’s what makes him a great horse.”
Joining Harry at Equestrian Park is his father, Peter, who is no stranger to the Olympic occasion – he was part of the gold medal-winning team at London 2012 with Harry’s Tokyo teammates, Ben Maher and Scott Brash.
“It’s been great having someone like him, Ben, Scott and Holly beside me, they’re so experienced and I can always go to one of them to ask for advice. I’ve got to know Ben really well this week, but Scott has been one of the riders that I’ve looked up to my whole life. Even when I started jumping at the top level a few years ago, he was someone I’d always go to for a bit of advice – he’s always been really nice and really helpful, and has guided me a bit. To have those two guys, and Holly, too, has been a great help for my first time.
“Dad and I walked the course together – it’s quite a tricky one with lots of colours and the lights are a tricky factor. We watched a few riders, made a plan and I stuck to it – it worked pretty well. I started a lot quicker than I normally would – more like I’d come to fence four or five – and added a stride into the triple combination because those two strides had been causing problems early on. Then I just opened him up and enjoyed it.
“I couldn’t ask for better start – to get into the final in my first Olympics is more than I could have hoped for. That was the goal coming here, and hopefully that’s the goal achieved now.”
Ben Maher with the incredible 12 year-old chestnut gelding Explosion W, which he owns alongside Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright, made the Santiago Varela (ESP) designed course look easy such is their talent. Explosion W, who is so aptly named, relished the questions asked of him and just couldn’t have looked better as he powered his way across the fourteen obstacles requiring seventeen jumping efforts to finish clear and make it the second combination for GB through to the Final.
“He was great,” said Ben. “It’s a big course today and very spooky – I don’t know if it’s the new fences or the lights – and I felt that on him. This is my most nervous round of the week because he’s a horse that improves as the rounds go on, so he was having a lot of looks today, but he’s a fast horse and he knows what he needs to do.
“It’s a fair course that suited Explosion – it’s relatively big but all the distances were a bit open. He grows in confidence when I ride with a bit of speed – I have to trust his quality and ride with that pace. I didn’t want to miss qualifying today, so I made the decision to go in and attack a bit. He felt great and it fills me with confidence. He’s coming off the back of two 5* Grand Prix wins – we have momentum, but these weeks can throw in big surprises. I’m confident but I also just go in there and do my best on the day.
“As a team, we jumped three clear rounds today – we have team tactics in place this week but, setting out on day one, we’re very strong. We’re here to try to get a result.”
Scott Brash, with Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s 12 year-old bay gelding Hello Jefferson came forward looking as calm and focused as they always do irrelevant of the pressure they are under. In Scott’s true inimitable style, and with his calm and measured way of going that has become synonymous with his name, they calmly wound their way round the course, never once losing pace or rhythm, to post yet another perfect clear for Great Britain and make it a full house of riders qualified to contest the Individual medals tomorrow.
“I’m delighted, he jumped fantastic," said Scott afterwards. “I thought it was a very good course, but I’m surprised there’ve been as many clears as there have been, if I’m honest. There’s a lot for the horses to look at in there on the first night – it’s very colourful so you don’t really know how they’re going to relax.
“Jefferson is an amazing horse and I feel he’s been in top form. We’re growing as a partnership and really understanding one another, and getting to know each other the more rounds we do. My worst day would be my first day – he’s quite a sharp horse, he’s very energetic, so normally he gets better as the week goes to – so hopefully that’s still the case!
“I think we’ve got a great team here, we’ve got a chance at a medal – but with three riders, anything can happen. If a rein snaps, we’re eliminated – it’s as easy as that. But I think we’re all in great shape, we’ll need a bit of lucky, but we’ve got a great chance.”
Team Manager, Di Lampard, said afterwards “I couldn’t be more pleased with the way all the partnerships jumped today. It’s been five years and we have finally started. We will all keep our focus to fulfil the plan.”
The Individual Final tomorrow takes place at 19:00 hrs local time and 11:00 hrs UK time. The Top 30 riders will come forward to contest the medals on offer and the three British riders will be towards the latter end of the field having all posted good times which dictates the order of go tomorrow. Ben Maher who posted the fastest of the rounds today will be the final rider to come forward.
For full results https://bit.ly/3A5l2CJ
.jpg "Laura Renwick Dominates in the Redpost Equestrian Senior Foxhunter Second Round at Felbridge Showground")
