"I have an amazing team around me, and we are going to do our very best to be able to compete in Paris," Great Britain’s Harry Charles told WoSJ after sustaining two fractures to his arm and wrist during Friday’s CSIO5* 1.60m RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia at CHIO Aachen 2024. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson/WoSJ.
Text © World of Showjumping
During Friday’s CSIO5* 1.60m RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia at CHIO Aachen 2024, Great Britain’s Harry Charles – who is on the British team for the Olympic Games in Paris in less than four weeks’ time with Romeo 88 (Contact van de Heffink x Orlando), alongside Scott Brash, Ben Maher and Joseph Stockdale – sustained two fractures in his wrist and arm.
Competing with Bandit (Obos Quality 004 x Cruisings Micky Finn) in the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia, the top-ranked FEI U25 rider – who joined the Top 10 of the Longines Rankings for the first time in his career this week when ranking 9th – had a scary fall when the 9-year-old stumbled as the pair landed out of the triple combination.
“He pulled a shoe in the middle of the combination and was very clever not to fall upon landing,” Charles explained to World of Showjumping. “The most important thing is that my horse is fine. It could have ended much worse, so I think in the end we were lucky. We will get a second opinion at home in England. I have an amazing team around me, and we are going to do our very best to be able to compete in Paris.”
At World of Showjumping, we wish Harry a quick recovery!