‘Can the British showjumpers bring it home?’ asks Graham Fletcher
H&H’s showjumping columnist assesses the form ahead of the World Championships
It’s business as usual for our top three riders Ben Maher, Scott Brash and Harry Charles as they head to the World Showjumping Championships in Aachen. Who is the best under pressure? In my opinion, they’re all 11/10, which is why at the Paris Olympics – when it was teams of three with all scores to count – this trio gave us a real advantage and won that wonderful gold medal.
They’re taking different horses this time, but we still have a very strong squad.
Ben has Point Break, a horse he knows like the back of his hand having ridden him for the past five seasons. He hasn’t had a jump down all year and from three grands prix starts has had a fifth, a second and a win in Rotterdam.
In his past six championships, Ben has been in the top four on five occasions. This time, he will be looking to add to his gold medal collection; he’s riding at the top of his game, so I think he will.
Scott’s got Hello Mango, a horse with some great form this year including heading a five-star in Doha and coming second in Chantilly. Scott’s capable of winning on any horse and Aachen should suit the scopey Mango who will be peaking at just the right time.
Although Harry had a good team of horses at the start of the season, he didn’t really have an obvious choice for these championships. However, at the FEI World Cup Final in Fort Worth April, the talking horse was a New Zealand-bred mare called LT Holst Freda ridden by Julia Davey – and she was secured for Harry to ride.
Mightily impressive she looked when Harry rode her at their first few five-star shows together. Despite his lack of ring time with this mare, I’m still putting him as my dark horse to win an individual medal.
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The quartet is rounded out by Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo – and what an inspiring story theirs is for up-and-coming riders. Bought as a four-year-old and produced all the way by Adrian, they’re now delivering some top-class five-star Nations Cup results.
How long is it since an unknown rider produced a horse from a rank novice to join a championship team? Adrian is a lovely, unassuming guy and a really good jockey. I wish him well.
While the Brits can go to Aachen feeling confident, the Irish, Germans and Americans are all looking good too. But ultimately, I think our team will go one better than our footballers and “bring it home”.
Credit needed for owners
It’s several decades since the late Michael Clayton, then editor of Horse & Hound, invited me to write an article for this magazine. One of the first things I wrote about was how there should be a prize for the groom when a major class was won. The idea was quickly adopted by several shows.
Today, racing does it very well and our sport is getting it right on that score too. When the big screen or live-stream coverage shows a picture to introduce each
competitor, there’s also now one of the grooms, which is a nice touch.
Then comes the breeding, which appears in great detail. But so often there’s little or no credit given to a horse’s owners. And I think that’s really wrong.
Of all the thousands of horses I’ve bought and sold over the years, I’ve never been influenced by breeding. But in so many ways, owners and sponsors have altered my life in the sport tremendously.
Of course, breeding is interesting, but owners and sponsors are far more important. Let’s face it, without them there would be no party.
● What more can be done to recognise the importance of owners across the equestrian disciplines? Let us know your thoughts at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine
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Graham has been involved in the sport of showjumping at the highest level for several decades. The Olympic silver medallist is retired from international competition, but he continues to train and produce young horses. He and his wife Tina Fletcher now support their sons Will and Olli who are two of the leading young riders in the country. A regular Horse & Hound columnist, you can read Graham’s views in the magazine and online.