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Harry Charles’ decision to eschew a career in golf paid dividends as he followed in his father Peter’s footsteps to win Olympic gold in the team jumping final at the Chateau de Versailles.
Peter Charles was a member of the British team which claimed the title at London 2012, alongside Nick Skelton, Ben Maher and Scott Brash, and the latter two athletes made up the team with Harry this time around.
In securing gold aboard Romeo 88, the Charles’ become the first father-and-son duo since rowers Dickie and Charles Burnell in 1948 and 1908 to win an Olympic title -with Charles snr encouraging his son to soak up every second of victory.
Harry Charles said: “He said enjoy it whatever you do, you’ve worked hard to get here and afterwards he said enjoy every minute of that ceremony as it will probably be the best moment of your life.
“I was there (in London), I was 12 or 13 when I watched these two boys and it’s pretty cool (to be riding) with them, they’re my heroes, guys I’ve looked up to since I started riding and to be on the podium with them, my younger self is freaking out a bit.”
The British team – now made up of three riders following a rule change at the Tokyo Olympics – led the competition from the first round, with all three jumping clear but Maher and Brash each incurring one time penalty, although their score was good enough to hold the USA in second and France in third.
Harry admitted his father was not keen to see him take on the family business, adding: “London was probably that moment I realised (I wanted to be a showjumper) – my dad wanted me to be a golfer.
“I was playing a lot of golf and riding a few ponies at the same time, but I realised I was a lot better at riding a horse than swinging a club and that was probably a pivotal moment.
“I fell in love with the sport and the horses – it was never going to be golf really for me.”
For Maher, who joked that Harry was the same as now in London “but a smaller version – we call him Bieber in the team”, it was also a slice of Olympic history.
He now joins eventer Richard Meade and dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin as the most successful British Olympic equestrians with three gold medals, having also claimed the individual jumping title in Tokyo.
After riding Dallas Vegas Batilly, Maher said: “It’s incredible – I didn’t know that statistic but every one is as important as each other and I just have a lot to thank the team for. It is a team effort.
“To win the first gold medal (in London) is always incredible and to be at home, but like Harry today, it’s a moment you never forget.
“This one is right up there, all the way to the last rider, incredible fans here today with a full house and to take it all the way down to the wire, to the last second to take the win, we showed the sport’s a lot of fun, excitement and drama and all our horses were amazing today.”
Brash showed little emotion before his crucial round, with his mind firmly on the task in hand and his horse Jefferson rising to the challenge.
He said: “You just have to stay focussed on your horse, how to ride your course, you try to block everything else out. That’s what I tried to do and they put me in an unbelievable position to do that and thankfully it all paid off.
“Jefferson was amazing, he coped unbelievably with the atmosphere and things, stayed cool, focussed on his job and I’m delighted.”
