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“Freda has changed a lot for me,” Great Britain’s Harry Charles tells World of Showjumping about LT Holst Freda (Colman x Casall).

Harry took over the ride of the 12-year-old mare in May, and last weekend the two secured a win for the British team at the third leg of the Longines League of Nations in Rotterdam. “I think the stars aligned so that our paths crossed,” Harry says about the chance to acquire the talented mare.

Initially, it was planned that Harry’s wife Eve would ride Freda. “Eve soon recognised how in love I was with this horse and suggested we’d see what kind of partnership we could develop,” Harry explains. “I am so appreciative of Eve being so kind and letting me try Freda. Straight away, we got on and everything has just been very easy. Freda is so intelligent.” 

“I know it was difficult for Julie and Andrew to part ways with her, and we are very grateful that they trusted us,” Harry continues. “They did a great job with Freda and deserve a lot of credit.”

LT Holst Freda burst onto the five-star scene with New Zealand’s Julie Davey at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final 2026 in Fort Worth, USA. Prior to Fort Worth, Julie and Freda were flying under the radar, having only showed in New Zealand and at four European venues. At the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, the mare charmed everyone with her natural talent – including Harry Charles.

“I fell in love with her already before the trial,” Harry recalls. “I loved Freda’s story with Julie and had a special feeling about her. She was born and bred in New Zealand, and she's been there her whole life. She has been Julie’s only horse, so she did everything with her; including herding sheep and cows. She just has the most incredible attitude.”

“I like to have a few months together with new horses before I jump bigger classes so that I know what I'm getting into,” Harry continues. “However, with Freda it seemed everything went so well that we had no reason not to step up. She was great in training, and therefore we went straight away into the Nations Cup in Rotterdam. Our chef d’equipe Di Lampard and technical advisor Stanny Van Paesschen were great, letting me do that level so early on with a new horse – I’m grateful to them, too.”

“The first round wasn't my best,” Harry tells about their first five-star Nations Cup together. “Freda was amazing, but I wasn't so sure on the stride length and exactly what numbers I was going to do. The second round I think it looked pretty perfect – we both understood what we wanted from each other, and the feeling was insane. I haven't had a feeling like that for a long time. I feel very, very lucky to have a horse like Freda.”

Eventually, Harry and Freda were selected to jump-off for the win in Rotterdam. “As we walked out the ring after the second round, Di told me to stay on the horse,” Harry recalls. “I was so happy with those two rounds, and I had had a lot of stress all day – I just really wanted everything to go nicely. Obviously, I wanted to try and not finish last in the jump-off, but there were many unknowns – my plan was to take care of Freda. I think the course builders did a super job; after having to jump two rounds, they didn't have a very long jump-off.”

“I just set off from one to two with a good canter and she turned really quick, she's so careful and she did everything so easily. When I watched the other two go, I couldn't believe that we were faster. We were all thrilled with the win, we couldn't have asked for more. No way did we expect that first time out.”

To make the win in Rotterdam even more special, Harry was riding alongside his sister Sienna. “Sienna and I see each other every day, we train together, and I witness the work she puts in her horses,” Harry tells. “Jim, as we call her horse Chawton, is a horse we've had from the very start. He's the first one we ever bred, and a very special horse to the whole family.”

“Jim is exceptionally careful, and Sienna rides him good. He's not the easiest, and she has built a great partnership with him. Although Sienna is still new to this level of competition, she's gaining more experience all the time. She's already had a lot of success, and it's nice to be able to support her.”

“Rotterdam was a nice show for us,” Harry continues. “Both of my parents were there, and it was nice to have so much support. We're based a lot of the time in the Netherlands, so we have a lot of Dutch friends and we kind of feel like it's our second home. I'm especially happy for my dad; having both of us jump clears, that's absolutely what he does it for and days like this keep him going.”

With the 2026 World Championships in Aachen approaching, Harry is looking to strengthen his partnership with Freda. “At this point, Aachen is still just a dream,” Harry points out. “We've had a great result in Rotterdam, but we still got to know each other better. My plan would be to definitely drop her down in classes at our next show. We'll work on the ride and get a few things ironed out. Our success in Rotterdam was just one class, and Aachen is a different ball game.”

“The last year and a half-two years have been a bit of a transitioning period for me, and I've had to take a step back,” Harry – who won team gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – concludes. “The big goal for me has always been the World Championships in Aachen. However, as we have been getting through the year, the further and further away it has seemed. At the moment, I'm very happy with where my horses are; I also have a great nine-year-old in Fighting Phil, who's been stepping up this year, and I'm excited to keep his development going, and though Sherlock hasn't really gotten going this year at shows, he feels great.”

23.6.2026 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.