"Following in his father's footsteps: How Harry Charles achieved Olympic gold"

 When Harry Charles was 13, he watched his father, Peter Charles, win team show jumping gold at the London 2012 Olympics. In that moment, Harry knew he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, abandoning his budding golf career to pursue equestrianism.

Never could he have imagined that he would one day achieve the same Olympic glory, and even more impressively, alongside Scott Brash and Ben Maher, who were also part of the London team. With this achievement, the Charles family becomes the first father-son duo to win Olympic gold for Team GB since 1948, when rowers Dickie and Charles Burnell last accomplished it.

Harry Charles also made history by winning alongside his father’s former teammates. Reflecting on his journey, Harry said, “I was 13 at Greenwich Park, watching those two boys who are now my heroes. To stand on the podium with them is incredible, and my younger self is thrilled.”

Harry's pivotal moment came when he realized he was more talented at riding than golf. “Before the competition, my dad told me to enjoy it, and after, he said to savor every moment of the ceremony, as it would be one of the best moments of my life.”

At 25, Charles is a young talent in show jumping, having debuted in the Olympics in Tokyo, where Team GB finished seventh. This time, they led from start to finish. Maher began with a strong performance, followed by Charles, who cleared the course despite a slight error. Brash completed the final leg, securing the gold with a two-point lead over the USA.

With this victory, Maher joins Charlotte Dujardin and Richard Meade as the only equestrian riders with three gold medals for Team GB. The presence of Peter Charles, supporting the team, added a surreal element to the win, according to Brash. “It’s incredible to have two generations of Olympic gold winners,” Brash said.

Maher, reflecting on the flawless performance, noted that such perfect days are rare in their sport. “Everything came together today, and it was just an amazing feeling,” he said.

Once again, Maher, Brash, and a Charles stood on the Olympic podium celebrating gold, just as they did twelve years ago.