Britain's heroes deliver gold

Team GB win a showjumping gold for the fourth Olympics in a row as Ben Maher, Scott Brash and Harry Charles execute the first team victory since 2012 in spectacular style

- PIPPA ROOME

‘The best moment of your life’

Ben Maher and Scott Brash repeat their London 2012 team gold-joined by the next generation of the Charles family

“MY dad said before my round, ‘Enjoy it, whatever you do – you’ve worked hard to get here’. And afterwards, he said, ‘Enjoy every minute of that ceremony, this will probably be the best moment of your life’.”

And that’s a dad who knows – for these are words reported by Harry Charles after he followed in his father Peter’s footsteps by winning an Olympic team gold medal for Britain.

Alongside Harry on the podium, in an emotional cauldron of beating sun and packed stands, were two riders who also stood on the top step in London 12 years ago, Ben Maher and Scott Brash.

These two – still relatively young at 41 and 38, in a sport that boasted the second and third oldest athletes in any sport at Paris – have been the backbone of British team showjumping ever since that glorious day in Greenwich. Both of these riders have contributed to all three senior championship team medals Britain has won since.

“Our family has a lot to thank Ben and Scott for,” said Harry, 25. “We nearly got a tear out of Dad today and we’re going to go back and enjoy this as a family. He kissed Ben apparently!

“I was 13 in 2012 and I watched these two boys. They’re my heroes, guys I’ve looked up to since I started riding and to be on the podium with them – my inner, younger self is freaking out.”

Scott described Peter as a mentor to all the team in Paris and he was also responsible for keeping Harry’s ride, his own and Ann Thompson’s 15-year-old Romeo 88, going after Harry broke his arm exactly four weeks before the Games.

“I asked the doctor in Germany if I could ride at the Olympics and he said, ‘You have to normally have six weeks in a cast’, so I was like, ‘Let’s leave this hospital and go and ask another one, that’s not going to work,’” he smiled.