Skelton on track for Olympic medal
Nick Skelton and the highly talented Arko III produced a fantastic performance in last night’s third round of the individual Olympic show jumping qualifying competition, which took place under spotlights at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre in Athens.
Robert Smith’s Mr Springfield is showing no signs of being affected by the Athens heat, but was unable to produce a clear round around the demanding course, collecting eight jumping penalties and one time fault.
The water jump proved to be quite a challenge for a number of horses, as well as the “Greek coins” fence, which glittered in silver and gold under the bright floodlights, but not for Arko, who has clearly gained in confidence as the competition has progressed.
After producing his first double clear of the competition, Nick said: “The crowd was fantastic and I’m very happy with our performance. Arko is getting better and better. At the beginning he was looking at the fences, but now he’s feeling very confident.”
Nick remains on a score of six penalties going into the individual final on Friday.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.