A coronation at the palace, jumping to glory in the three-day team eventing, with the medals handed over by none other than Princess Anne.
These resplendent gardens of Versailles were a fitting place for Great Britain to win their first gold of these Olympics.
In the playground of the French aristocrats, where Louis XIV used to keep his horses, Team GB enjoyed their own moment of sporting history. They defended their title for the first time in 52 years — and perhaps one of the final times as this sport fights for its future on the Olympic roster.
This spectacular setting was at the heart of the French Revolution which began in 1789. It is the city where equestrianism was first introduced as an Olympic sport in 1900, yet now it is the scene of a sporting revolution. The images of Charlotte Dujardin whipping her horse remain raw, sabotaging reputations, and this was a day British equestrianism desperately needed.
It was a demonstration of harmony between horse and rider, with Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and the aptly-named Ros Canter delivering an almost faultless performance on the final morning.
Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen (left to right) won gold for Britain on Monday
The Team GB equestrian trio were given their medals by Princess Anne (bottom centre)
‘Horses don’t go like that if they’re not happy,’ said Collett, who dazzled the crowd in her Swarovski crystal-encrusted helmet on the final run of the show-jumping stage.
‘Seeing our horses go in there, look a million dollars and perform like they have all week, hopefully that shows what goes in. There’s a huge team behind us that make it possible. It’s huge.’
They say horses are sensitive to their surroundings so perhaps they sensed the mutiny in the air before the final event. Canter was handed a 15-point penalty for missing a jump on day two of the cross country but the judges turned down Team GB’s overnight appeal.
It handed a huge boost to their biggest rivals, France. Conspiracy theories began to circle that it was a move to help the hosts to a popular gold and British enthusiasts arrived waving Article 217 of the Federation Jumping Rules.
It left Team GB with little margin for error. French rider Nicolas Touzaint stirred the packed home crowd into a frenzy before Collett and her horse London 52 emerged for the crowning run. They kept their composure.
‘That was very nice of him!’ said Collett, knowing the noise would have spooked most horses. ‘Luckily, my horse quite likes that. I wouldn’t have wanted to be sat on a nervous horse. He rose to the occasion. He’s a superstar and he loves showing off. He thinks he’s right at home with the palace in the background. He was a bit disappointed in Tokyo so he’s waited three years for a full stable.’
Collett, 34, also won a bronze medal in the individual eventing final on Monday
Collett dazzled the crowd with her choice of headwear, a Swarovski crystal-encrusted helmet
In the horsing equivalent of a team triathlon, Collett incurred one time penalty in the jumps. She consolidated first position, following a perfect run by McEwen and just one knocked pole by Canter. ‘The focus was don’t do anything stupid. Horses are animals at the end of the day, anything can happen.’
Out by the paddocks, owners and support teams broke down in tears as victory was locked in. The three horses were worth more than a million pounds coming into these finals but will now be worth substantially more.
Collett treated her 15-year-old gelding to a Pink Lady apple. Then, fuelled by a breakfast of barley, oats and beans — as well as isotonic supplements and Polos, with 320 packs back at base — the beloved pair went again to claim bronze in the individual competition, just hours later.
‘It was quite a strange feeling because you don’t have even five minutes to enjoy the fact you’ve just won a team gold medal,’ said Collett. ‘But now it’s over and to sit here with two Olympic medals is something I could never even dream of.’
Princess Anne, who houses one of the winning team’s horses at her stables in Gloucestershire, neatly summed up Britain’s day of glory. ‘Very good!’ she said, in the royal surroundings.
With five riders already in the world’s top seven, it was a display that showcased Britain’s dominance on the global stage.
Equestrianism is already locked in for Los Angeles 2028 but it will need more golden days like this if its Olympic status is going to survive much longer.
