Coming into Friday’s team show jumping final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the slate had been wiped clean for all 10 qualified teams from yesterday’s qualifying round after a new format was instituted in Tokyo dictating that qualifying scores would not count toward the final. This meant it was still very much any team’s game to secure a coveted medal. This year, medals feature a piece of the iconic Eiffel Tower.

Under pressure to deliver a repeat, fault-free performance, Germany qualified first in the first round yesterday, meaning they’d be the final team in today’s rotation to see. Surprisingly, early favorite Switzerland failed to qualify in the first round, while Ireland, Tokyo and gold medal-winning Sweden were also very much in the running.

Early in the day, it was announced that Mexico’s team would not go forward after the withdrawal of Carlos Hank Guerreiro and Porthos Maestro WH Z due to a health issue. Unfortunately for 11th-ranked Spain, Mexico’s withdrawal was not done ahead of the two-hour deadline for substitutions. This meant we had just nine teams to see today with plenty of excitement and drama on the horizon.

In the end, it wouldn’t be Germany’s day, despite a strong finish with no faults from anchor rider Philip Weishaupt and his mount Zineday. Just two rails, one each from Richard Vogel and lead rider Christian Kukuk, indicated Germany would struggle to reclaim its top position at the end of the day.

Great Britain Emerges on Top

As the dust settled on team jumping competition, Great Britain emerged as the last men standing and secured their second gold in equestrian sports in Paris this summer. With a program burgeoning in depth and talent across equestrian sports, the British team also won a team gold in eventing competition earlier this week.

This gold marks Britain’s third since 1952 and the first since the team topped the podium at their home games in London (2012). However, they weren’t touted as statistical favorites at the beginning of Olympic competition, given just a 5-percent chance at a gold medal by EquiRatings initially.

The Brits rode exceptionally today, incurring just two time penalties to secure their win, otherwise jumping faultless across all three team members.

“We have amazing horses and it comes down to experience and great riding,” said Great Britain’s Ben Maher, a five-time Olympian who picked up one time fault with 11-year-old Selle Francais mare Dallas Vegas Batilly (Cap Kennedy – Violetta Batilly x L’Arc De Triomphe).

Team Jumping: All About Timing

Maher complimented his fellow teammates Scott Brash and Harry Charles, saying they were two of the best rounds he’d seen.

“They were the hardest but two of the best rounds I’ve seen ridden. They were executed perfectly for those horses. And at the end of the day, it comes down to timing in every sport and bringing it together at the right time. I probably would say none of us could have done a better job today than what we did. And that’s probably very rare in our sport, or that’s what I would say. Everything comes together and it’s just an amazing feeling.”

For 25-year-old Charles, who watched his father, Peter Charles, win a gold in London as a teen, this medal carries much personal significance. Charles returned to today’s final after having one pole down in the qualifier to jump the only clear round on the British team with Romeo 88 (Contact Van de Heffinck – Only Picobello x Orlando), his team bronze-winning partner at the FEI World Championships in 2022.

“Whatever you do, you’ve worked hard to get here. My dad told me to enjoy every minute of that ceremony, because it will probably be the best moment of my life,” he recalled. “I was 12 when I watched these two boys [Maher and Brash] do it. It’s pretty cool. They’re both my heroes and 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 a bit.”

A Silver Streak in Team Jumping for U.S.

Team USA secured their third consecutive silver medal after contending with some drama. Early yesterday, the U.S. activated reserve combination Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque (Zandor – Pocahontas D’Amaury x Kannan) after Kent Farrington withdrew his mount.

One rail down from Laura Kraut and Baloutinue (Balou du Rouet – Utika x Landor S) prevented the U.S. from finishing atop the podium. After watching the video, Kraut genuinely couldn’t determine why she had the rail, the A element of the triple combination at 10, but this result speaks volumes about the American jumpers’ consistency.

“Any competitor would have the ‘could’ve, should’ve, would’ve’,” Kraut said of her final round. “I watched the video 10 times. It was an interesting mistake. Balou doesn’t normally jump over his front end like that. But those things happen. He was fantastic and I’m just grateful to have these two alongside me.”

Cook, for his part, had a stellar performance at his first and somewhat unexpected Olympic debut.

“I think I’m still digesting. It’s what you hope for when you’re a kid wanting to go to the Games one day. It’s really special,” Cook said. “It was amazing to compete with people I’ve watched and respected and learned from for so many years. And to be on the inside, watching how it all works and to be able to go in and jump and do it all together was incredible.”

Team Effort Pays Off

McLain Ward jumped as the anchor rider aboard Ilex (Baltic VDL – Calendula x Chin Chin). Needing a clear round to secure silver, the five-time Olympic gold medalist admitted it was a mentally difficult position.

“I’m not the guy who does that easily. I’ve had to work at it really hard. Early in my career nerves were a problem at times. Or at least the pressure to deliver in certain clutch moments was,” Ward said. “I have a process to get to the right place that allows me to focus on execution. You also have to digest that sometimes it’s not going to come off and that’s OK. Life will go on.”

U.S. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland expressed pride in his team’s performance, notably the determination and poise Cook showed after being called up and subsequently delivering clear rounds in both the qualifier and final.

“Karl was honored to be on the team. The first thing he said was, ‘I’m here to do whatever I need to do to help the other three’. Well, he did,” Ridland said. “One of the hardest things to do is get a last-minute notice two hours before the event. To say, ‘Oh, by the way, did you bring your white britches? You’re on’ and then duplicate it the next day. Hats off to Karl. And of course, we’re very proud of the other three. We came here with arguably the strongest team in the last three Olympics. But the format creates so many ups and downs and the competition is stronger than ever. It was an amazing Games.”

A Home Medal for France

Speaking of “amazing Games,” what a result for France, who was also not highly touted as a favorite to podium. At the outset of competition, the home nation was given a 5-percent winning chance by EquiRatings. But by the end of two rounds, their chances had shot up 32 percent to top the podium.

The French also dealt with a blow of their own, after Kevin Staut (a member of the gold medal-winning team in Rio de Janeiro in 2016) and his horse Viking de la Rousserie were not accepted at the horse inspection earlier this week. This meant a call-up and first Olympic appearance for Olivier Perreau and Dorai d’Aiguilly (Kannan – Bijou Orai x Toulon). Perreau delivered, jumping a clear round today. While his teammates Julien Epaillard and Simon Delestre had a rail or time penalties.

“I was really concentrating to make sure I didn’t get any faults,” Perreau said of his final round with the 11-year-old Selle Francais mare with whom he helped France to a Longines League of Nations win in Rotterdam en route to the Games. “When I realized I had done such a good round, I just let go and the emotion came out.”

Details Count in Preparation

Before Rio, France had not won an Olympic medal in show jumping since the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. In preparation for these home Games, Epaillard (Dubai du Cedre) said the team put in diligent preparation.

“We prepared for this for a long time now,” Epaillard said. “At the European Championships last year and before, we tried to build something strong for one day at the Olympics. A lot of things happen in one year or two years preparing for this. So you have a plan A and a lot of time you have to change the plan. But we try to keep our horses the best possible and make the best program possible. And I think when it’s so close like this, the little details count in the preparation.”

Simon Delestre (I Amelusina R 52) echoed that France has a very friendly team. “I mean, we are fighting each other all together in only one group. That also helps to have a medal,” he noted. “We are showing every weekend together. We are also friends in our normal life. So we gave all we could to fight for a medal here in France. And it was really a goal for more than a year to catch a medal. But it’s a tough match. It always is in that kind of Championships with so many good riders and good teams.”

Horses and riders will now enjoy two days of rest while dressage wraps up. They will return on Monday for the individual qualifier. That competition will see 75 starters vying for one of 30 individual spots in the final round. The final round on Tuesday will determine the medals.

To read more about our coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics, click here.