British showjumpers Ben Maher, Harry Charles, and Scott Brash dominated the Olympic team competition on Friday, securing a triumphant gold medal. Their stellar performances, marked by near-perfect rides on a challenging course, propelled Great Britain to its third team victory in the discipline. The team’s success was built on a foundation of precision and control, resulting in just two time penalties and zero knocked-off rails throughout the competition. This remarkable feat placed them ahead of the United States, which accumulated 4 penalty points, and France, with 7 penalties.
The British victory further solidified their dominance in equestrian events at the Paris 2024 Olympics, adding to their earlier gold medal in team eventing. The riders faced a demanding obstacle course, designed to resemble iconic Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame cathedral. Obstacles reached heights of 1.65 meters (5.41 feet), challenging the horses and riders to navigate with precision and speed within a time limit of approximately 80 seconds.
Harry Charles, riding his 15-year-old bay gelding Romeo 88, delivered one of the most impressive performances of the day, completing his run without incurring any penalties. The crowd erupted in cheers as French first-time Olympian Olivier Perreau, who stepped in as a replacement after another rider’s horse failed the veterinary check, also executed a flawless ride on Dorai D’Aiguilly. This flawless performance momentarily lifted France to the top of the leaderboard, adding further excitement to the competition.
Among the 16,500 spectators witnessing the thrilling competition was French President Emmanuel Macron, who watched from the stands as the horses soared through the air against the backdrop of the majestic Versailles chateau. The demanding nature of the course was evident in the comments of riders, who described it as the pinnacle of technical challenges. “It’s the maximum level could possibly have in terms of technical challenges”, German rider Christian Kukuk said.
While Germany’s team delivered a strong performance, with all three riders finishing without penalties, their qualifying scores were erased for Friday’s finals. Mexico, which had initially harbored hopes of securing a medal, was forced to withdraw on Friday morning due to veterinary reasons. One of their horses, Porthos Maestro, ridden by Carlos Hank Guerreiro, was deemed unfit to compete. The team’s withdrawal was a result of a series of setbacks, as another one of their mounts had previously failed pre-competition veterinary checks, leaving them without a fallback option.
