Brilliant bronze for Britain – and Olympic qualification secured on a fantastic night of jumping in Aachen
The British quartet gave a superb performance to stand on the podium behind champions Germany and Belgium
Britain has secured a fabulous team bronze at the showjumping World Championships, qualifying for the 2028 LA Olympics at the first opportunity.
Ben Maher (Point Break), Harry Charles (LT Holst Freda), Adrian Whiteway (Chacco Volo) and Scott Brash (Hello Mango) added just four faults between them tonight to take their deserved place on the podium, behind Germany – who won gold with a fence and a rider in hand – and silver medallists Belgium.
Ben and Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s star stallion kicked things off with a clear round Ben described as “perfect”.
“He hasn’t jumped under lights too much but I knew his quality would come through with the different lighting this evening, and it was about keeping him brave and relaxed,” he said.
“He went in and he gave me the exact plan, the exact ride I had planned and visualised. When that happens, there’s not a lot to say really. It doesn’t happen very often but he was absolute perfection for me this evening. I’m very proud of him and my team. It’s a long long road to get these horses from a young horse all the way to this level.”
Britain’s bronze at the World Championships: how it unfolded
Second to go for the team, Harry Charles showed his superb horsemanship – and Freda her class – as they jumped a crucial clear, after less than four months together.
Harry said this was a very tough course, as expected for a championship final, and the floodlights played their part in the pressure.
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“The atmosphere is amazing, and I’m very happy to get a clear, finally,” he said.
“She’s not knocked a jump all week, it’s been me, so I felt a lot of relief after the finish line; the feeling was again incredible. I left her a little bit fresh this morning, not knowing quite how she’d be on a third day of jumping, and she just came out; I had double handfuls the whole way round. I just sat quiet and said whoa to her, and she just ate it. I’m very happy to give her a proper ride, and we've kept the team in with a shout.”
“All year, I’ve just been dreaming of this championship”
Harry Charles
Harry said after yesterday’s disappointment, “I had to get over myself, to be honest”.
“It was a pretty low day,” he said. “I’ve knocked jumps down plenty of times, but yesterday really sucked.
“You never know when you’re going to get a horse that good, if ever again, so you want to come here. This might be the only time in my life the championships are here in Aachen. I hope not, but it’s such a special place, and all year, I’ve just been dreaming of this championship.
“In May, I wasn’t even planning on coming, I didn’t have a horse, then Freda kind of showed up. The old saying is ‘I think it’s hope that kills you’. Maybe I got a bit ambitious with where I was in the partnership, but I think whatever happens today, we’re going to walk away, I think, with our heads held high. And I’ve got a very special horse for the next few years, and I’m just going to take really good care of her.”
Adrian Whiteway and Deborah Cox’s Chacco Blue did not have luck with them tonight; the first Lindt oxer, which fell more than any other fence tonight, hit the turf. Adrian rode beautifully through the combination but they knocked the first element of the double, and the second fell too. Adrian held it together to finish with three time-faults but this 15 had to be the drop score.
So the pressure was all on Scott’s shoulders again – but again the Lindt fence hit the turf. Perhaps by this late stage, and after some heavy rain, the going was not what it had been. But Scott rode superbly to jump clear the rest of the way, which meant a second successive world team bronze at least for Britain.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.