British Olympic gold medallist out for the rest of the year with ‘complex injury’
The rider was competing on the autumn Mediterranean Equestrian Tour, in Oliva, Spain
Olympic team gold medallist Harry Charles has announced he will be out of action for the remainder of the year with a “complex” shoulder injury.
Harry was injured in a fall in Oliva, Spain, where he has been competing on the autumn Mediterranean Equestrian Tour since 1 October.
“After a fall last week in Oliva, I’ve managed to mess up my left shoulder pretty good,” said Harry yesterday (23 October).
Harry added that it was “quite a complex injury” and so he will be out of competition for the remainder of the year.
“Time for a bit of time at home and getting fit for next year,” he said.
Harry has had a rollercoaster year; in May he said he had no plans to be at the Aachen World Championships and was “probably going to watch it on an iPad”. Then the wonderful mare LT Holst Freda came along.
The pair were selected for the team and they did not disappoint. Harry helped Britain to team bronze, then put in a memorable performance when he rose from 59th place in the opening stages to finish the best of the Brits with individual bronze.
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“She showed up, and she’s a dream horse really,” he said at the time. “She’s so intelligent, doesn’t really get fazed by much. This is still quite a new level for her; she did the World Cup Finals, the biggest atmosphere and courses she’s jumped, but this is again another level up and it’s amazing how well she handles it.”
Since Aachen, Harry has remained on the European circuit. He won a CSI4* 1.55m in Gijon, Spain, in August with 10-year-old gelding Ballypatrick Tiberius in Gijon, a former ride of French eventer and showjumper Gaspard Maksud. The following month he won a CSI4* 1.50m on 11-year-old Bandit in Ascona, Switzerland.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.