Britain’s Harry Charles follows in father’s footsteps at WEF
Great Britain’s Harry Charles made his Winter Equestrian Festival [WEF] debut this week following in the footsteps of his father and famed showjumper Peter. “I’ve been here to watch my father compete,” said Harry who arrived in Wellington a week ago. “But this is my first time competing at WEF.”
Harry took a win in Friday afternoon’s $62,500 FEI 5* 1.50m with the 13-year-old Oldenburg mare, Aralyn Blue in a time of 66.84, with USA’s Jessica Springsteen and Naomi Van Het Keizershof finishing second on 67.03 seconds. A large field, of 65 horse and rider combinations, saw Ireland’s Michael Duffy and RMF Cinnamo take third with 67.45 seconds on the clock.
Both Harry and his father, who joins him here in Wellington, are Olympians, with Peter part of the British Gold Medal winning team at the London Olympics in 2012. Harry, 25, who competed in his first five-star competition in Aachen, Germany at the age of 18, represented his country on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ team – held in 2021 – where he was one of the youngest showjumpers competing. Peter, who also rode for Ireland for a time as well as for Great Britain, was awarded the rare accolade of an MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire – in the 2013 New Year Honors for services to equestrianism by Queen Elizabeth II.
Tomorrow Harry makes his first appearance in Saturday Night Lights’ five-star Grand Prix aboard his Tokyo Olympic partner Romeo 88. The horse is jointly owned by Harry and America’s Ann Thompson and she was one reason for him wanting to show at WEF. “It’s nice for her to be able to be here,” he said. The other reason for Harry’s journey across the pond was the open air.
“It’s an important year with the Olympics,” he said. “I have a good string of horses and it’s good to get them outside early in the season.”
Tomorrow night’s purse increases to $385,000 and will feature 48 riders with Harry riding at the tail end of the class, going 45th. He should be one to watch. “Let’s hope so,” he said.