In order to emulate his father, Harry made the decision to give up his golf clubs.
Harry Charles’ choice to forgo a golf career paid off as he achieved Olympic gold in the team jumping final at the Chateau de Versailles, following in the footsteps of his father Peter.
Along with Nick Skelton, Ben Maher, and Scott Brash, Peter Charles was a member of the British team that won the title in London 2012. The latter two athletes comprised the team that Harry was on this time around.
After rowers Dickie and Charles Burnell won Olympic gold in 1948 and 1908, the Charles family became the first father-and-son team to win an Olympic gold medal together when they secured gold aboard Romeo 88. Charles Sr. encouraged his son to enjoy every moment of their victory.
Enjoy everything you do because you’ve worked hard to get here, Harry Charles said. Later, he added, “enjoy every minute of that ceremony because it will probably be the best moment of your life.”
“I remember watching these two boys when I was 12 or 13 years old in London, and I think it’s really awesome to be riding with them. They’re my heroes, guys I’ve looked up to since I started riding, so my younger self is a little freaked out.”
Following a rule change at the Tokyo Olympics, the British team, now consisting of three riders, led the competition from the first round. Maher and Brash each received a one-time penalty, but their score was good enough to hold off the USA in second and France in third.
Harry acknowledged that his father was not enthusiastic about him taking over the family business. He continued, saying, “I think it was in London that I realized I wanted to be a showjumper; my dad thought I should be a golfer.”
I was riding ponies and playing a lot of golf when I realized that riding a horse was much more my style than swinging a club, and that was probably a turning point in my life.
“I really never was going to play golf; I fell in love with the sport and the horses.”
It was also a piece of Olympic history for Maher, who joked that Harry was the same as he was now in London “but a smaller version – we call him Bieber in the team.”
With three gold medals, he now shares the record for most successful British Olympic equestrians, alongside dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin and eventer Richard Meade. He also won the individual jumping title in Tokyo.
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,” following his ride on Dallas Vegas Billy. It’s a group endeavor.
“Like Harry today, winning the first gold medal (in London) is always an amazing moment, and being at home makes it even more memorable.
We demonstrated the sport’s great fun, excitement, and drama today, and all of our horses were outstanding. “This one is right up there, all the way to the last rider, incredible fans here with a full house, and to take it all the way down to the wire, to the last second to take the win.”
Before his pivotal round, Brash was largely focused on the task at hand, and his horse, Jefferson, was up to the challenge.
He remarked, “You just have to try to block out everything else and stay focused on your horse and how to ride your course. That’s what I attempted to do, and happily everything worked out because they placed me in an amazing position to accomplish that.
“I’m thrilled that Jefferson was able to handle the situation and the environment so well. He maintained his composure and concentrated on his work.”
