Showjumper Harry Charles said he was “delighted”, having jumped Great Britain’s sole clear round to help the team win bronze at the Agria FEI World Showjumping Championships.
Harry, 23, described the big-jumping Romeo 88 as very fresh, even after three days of gruelling jumping, under the lights in the team final on Friday, 12 August, in Herning, Denmark.
“He was fantastic – although that wasn’t the easiest ride I’ve ever had!” said Harry, who made his championship debut at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
“He was quite strong today even after three days, somehow – he’s still absolutely wild in the warm up, bucking and kicking, so he was quite fresh. He needed a bit of zip for how big the jumps were today and he fought so hard for me, I’m delighted with him.”
Mistakes were being made all over Louis Konickx’s demanding course for Friday’s team final at the World Showjumping Championships, but Harry’s team-mates Ben Maher and Joe Stockdale, who had jumped before him, relayed some handy advice about riding the treble combination on the final line.
“We knew the time was very short and Romeo wouldn’t be the quickest horse in the world, although he’s not a slowboat, but the distances came up perfect,” said Harry. “I think the biggest one was getting into that combination as slow as you can as that seemed to be the big problem on the course – you had to wait until you’d jumped those two verticals before you even thought about jumping the oxer, that’s what I got told from Ben and Joe, and Romeo jumped it super.”
World Showjumping Championships results: Great Britain climb the leader board
Reflecting on the faults he’d picked up in the opening two rounds, Harry said: “I was not disappointed in Romeo at all, more myself. It was just unlucky the first few days, we could have been in a great position, but that’s how the sport goes and hopefully I have many more championships ahead of me. I’m happy to have given him the round he deserves.”
Romeo 88’s owner Ann Thompson was in Herning to watch Harry and her horse climb up the World Showjumping Championship results on their final appearance this week.
“She [Ann] has just changed my career – without her I definitely wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t have gone to the Olympics last year,” said Harry. “She’s trusted me with so much and I’m forever thankful and happy.”
Great Britain won the bronze medal behind the new world champions Sweden, with the Netherlands in silver.
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