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‘It’s always a balance, but it paid off’: Scott Brash qualifies for Olympic showjumping individual final

Gemma Redrup Gemma Redrup

    • Scott Brash has continued his run of top form to jump an immaculate clear round with Jefferson in the Paris Olympic showjumping individual qualifier.

    Scott, who is a member of Great Britain’s newly crowned team gold medal-winning team, produced a masterful ride aboard the diminutive 15-year-old gelding to stop the clock in 75.78sec, which is enough to see them easily qualify into tomorrow’s individual final.

    “He felt really good – I thought he jumped super,” said Scott of the gelding owned by Lady Pauline Harris. “Maybe we had a touch of luck in the middle part of the combination, but it felt like that was the only one he touched.”

    Scott explained that both he and Jefferson have “chilled out” since contributing to clinching team gold on Friday.

    “We’ve relaxed a bit. We went to the Team GB house the night of the team medal, which was nice to see a lot of new faces and get congratulated, plus we did some media. I took Jefferson out for a stroll in the park and and just tried to set him up for today.”

    Speaking of today’s 1.65m track, designed by Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo, Scott commented he thought it was a “clever” course.

    “When I walked it, I thought it wasn’t as big as the first two days, but it was tricky. But then, to be honest, when I first watched the first 10-15 go, I thought, ‘oh god, there’s going to be too many clears’. So then you wonder, what do you do? Do you set off quickly in case you have a fence? It’s always a balance, because you still want to try to be clear, but luckily, it paid off and actually, the way the class is turning out, I think it’s going to be probably about a spot on.”

    Scott said the time factor was definitely in his mind as he jumped round.

    “I sort of had in my head I would need to be round in about 75 seconds-ish, just in case I had a fence. And I finished in 75 seconds, so I rode to my plan and luckily I’m here.”

    Scott joins compatriot Harry Charles and Romeo 88 in the individual final tomorrow (6 August), while Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly will jump in the qualifier later this afternoon.

    Scott Brash on the Olympic showjumping format

    Scott described the Olympic showjumping format as “is what it is” with regards to the fact faults are wiped clean for each day of competition.

    “You could be clear all the way along and then have an unlucky fence tomorrow. And then someone can have one down all the way along, but could win tomorrow if they jumped clear. Do we all like it? No, I don’t think so, but it is what it is. It’s a unique competition in that way, so you’ve just got to take it day by day.”

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    Gemma Redrup
    Gemma Redrup

    H&H features, racing and point-to-point editor
    Gemma is an experienced journalist, having been part of the H&H team since 2014, who is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting talents have taken her to numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
    Gemma Redrup

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