Dressage-News

For Nick and Peter ths level at this success has been a long time coming.

“It’s taken me 54 years,” Nick Skelton said. “It’s unbelievable and what a place to do it! I have a wonderful horse and it’s a dream come true. It’s great for our country and great for our sport. The lads have done great,” he added, turning to his team-mates, “and I’m really pleased for Pete (Charles). He has had a rough trip but he came good in the end.”

Following Britain’s first round it was a lot of nail biting waiting for Holland’s last rider, Gerco Schroder and the aptly named London, to complete the course, the only threat to the home side at that stage and he did well enough to force the jumpoff.

But Nick Skelton, Peter Charles, Ben Maher and Scott Brash triumphed in the finest style and, to put the icing on the cake, they did it on home soil. Saudi Arabia took bronze behind the Dutch, with Switzerland finishing fourth, outside the medals.

For Nick and Peter ths level at this success has been a long time coming.

“It’s taken me 54 years,” Nick Skelton said. “It’s unbelievable and what a place to do it! I have a wonderful horse and it’s a dream come true. It’s great for our country and great for our sport. The lads have done great,” he added, turning to his team-mates, “and I’m really pleased for Pete (Charles). He has had a rough trip but he came good in the end.”For 52-year-old Peter Charles it was no easy ride.

“I got off to a bad start, but this is as good as it gets!” he said as he grasped the gold medal hanging around his neck.For Scott Brash and Ben Maher, Olympic glory has come early in their careers, but they both realized just what has been achieved and were fortunate to be a part of it. “I’m delighted for the older guys. All these years they’ve worked hard, riding loads of different horses, and it’s great to play a part in helping them to achieve this–everyone played their part,” said 26-year-old Scott Brash who is the youngest team member.

He broke into the British team at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010, but only really clinched his place in the Olympic side with performances over the last eight months riding Hello Sanctos. He hails from Peebles in Scotland and, in an interesting coincidence, there was also a Scotsman on the only other British team to claim Olympic gold back in 1952. That was Douglas Stewart who rode Aherlow alongside Wilfred White (Nizefela) and Harry Llewellyn (Foxhunter).