Team GB’s equestrian jumpers win gold
Team GB’s equestrian jumping team wins its first gold in 60 years in a tense “jump-off” with the Netherlands.
Coming into the competition Britain and Northern Ireland had not won a gold medal in team jumping in 60 years. They had not won an Olympic team jumping medal of any colour since 1984.
The opening rider for Team GB was Nick Skelton on Big Star. Skelton did a clear run of the course, picking up no penalties, to get Team GB off to the perfect start.
Second up for Team GB was Ben Maher on Tripple X who picked up four penalty points for knocking a bar down on one of the fences. Scott Brash followed on Hello Sanctos and echoed Skelton’s success in completing a clear run.
Peter Charles on Vindicat scored five penalty point in his round. This put Team GB in gold medal position – where the Netherlands then joined them by achieving the same score.
Jump-off
As the two teams finished equal a jump-off was set up between Team GB and the Netherlands – with each rider doing a circuit of a new course. The best three scores would win gold. If the scores were equal then the fastest collective time would win the gold.
Skelton was Team GB’s jump-off contender, facing off against Jur Vrieling. Skelton and Vrieling both rode clear rounds, but with Skelton completing his faster.
Ben Maher then followed, also completing a clear round. The second Dutch rider, Maikel van der Vleuten, picked up eight penalty points in a disappointing round for the Dutch.
Third was Scot Brash, who picked up four penalty points. His Dutch counter-part, Marc Houtzager, picked up four points. This meant if Peter Charles produced a clear round then Team GB would win gold – and he did.
Equestrian Jumping
In equestrian jumping riders have to jump thirteen fences, comprising sixteen obstacles (some fences comprise more than one obstacle), in a set order.
Penalties are made for a number of infringements and the jumpers are also trying to complete the course as quickly as possible. If riders scores are equal then the speed with which they completed the course is taken into account.
Unlike in eventing, style is not a factor in scoring.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland went into the final day in joint second place, with the Saudi Arabian horse-riders sitting in the gold medal spot with just one penalty point.
Also on four penalty points and sharing the silver medal position with Team GB were the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.
Great Britain’s team jumpers comprise Nick Skelton on Big Star, Ben Maher on Tripple X, Scott Brash on Hello Sanctos and Peter Charles on Vindicat. Skelton and Charles are two of the oldest competitors in the whole of Team GB, at 54 and 52 respectively.
They are the sixth games for Skelton, who has been competing at Olympics since 1980. Going into the competition Team GB had not won a jumping medal in 28 years. The last time there was a British gold in the sport was 1952.
Last week Team GB’s equestrian eventers won a silver medal in their team event.
