British Olympic journey of showjumper Scott Brash

Scott Brash’s charismatic “Jezza” has this type of impressive soar that Nick Skelton mentioned he would had been tempted out of retirement to journey him. Jennifer Donald meets a “very particular horse” who carried Nice Britain to TEAM GOLD at Paris 2024

Scott Brash praised his “superb” equine spouse Jefferson, who jumped transparent for only one time-penalty beneath large drive to safe a gold medal for Nice Britain within the staff Olympic showjumping ultimate at Paris 2024 on Friday (2 August).

“A gold medal doesn’t get previous, it’s unbelievable,” mentioned Scott.

This is the tale of the unbelievable Jefferson, AKA Jezz or Jeff, who now reigns as an Olympic hero himself.

Hi Jefferson: key details

Age: 15
Breeding: BWP by way of Cooper VD Heffinck out of Hovis (by way of Irco Mena)
Rider: Scott Brash
Breeder: Bernard Mols (Belgium)
House owners: Woman Pauline Harris and Woman Pauline Kirkham
Hi Jefferson’s largest achievements: a part of Nice Britain’s Olympic gold medal-winning staff at Paris 2024; 2nd within the International Cup qualifier on the London Global (2023); received International Cup qualifier London Global (2022); received CSI5* grand prix of Valkenswaard (July 2021), received CSI5* LGCT grand prix of Stockholm (June 2021), runner-up in CSI5* LGCT grand prix of Madrid (Might 2021), received two CSI4* grands prix of Saint Tropez (August and October 2020), runner-up within the Longines world grand prix of Eire, Dublin (August 2019), double transparent as a part of the successful staff within the International locations Cup of Dublin (August 2019).

Rider Scott Brash says:

“We have been searching for a horse and I went to a few displays the place I simply spent the entire day staring at and taking a look. I noticed Jefferson at Peelbergen [with previous rider Charlotte Philippe] and actually favored him, however they weren’t too willing to promote at the moment. However we stored involved and a couple of months later we purchased him.

“I may see there used to be numerous high quality there – he used to be tough, he used to be cautious, he used to be fast – and he gave me an excellent feeling on the soar, however he used to be very sharp. There used to be nonetheless numerous flatwork to be executed with him – it felt like he didn’t simply perceive issues initially.

“After I were given him house he used to be if truth be told actually difficult and tough paintings – he has a little of persona about him! He’s very suave and has this type of busy mind that he all the time needs to be doing one thing. However he’s educated on actually smartly and we’ve grown such a lot as a partnership – we perceive every different now and I believe he’s an excessively particular horse.

“In Dublin 2019 when he jumped double transparent for the International locations Cup staff then used to be 2nd within the grand prix – that’s when it began to come back in combination and I used to be proud to understand he used to be without a doubt going to slot in on the best finish of the game having coped with an environment like that.

“He’s all the time been an evident selection for the Olympics.”

Groom David Honnet says:

“He’s a candy horse who’s actually connected to other folks and simply needs a number of consideration within the solid. He loves to make tea along with his hay and he’s all the time on a undertaking while you lead him out.

“Scott calls him Jezza however my nickname for him is solely Jeff. I’ve sorted him since he arrived with Scott and it’s been slightly a protracted procedure to get to the place we are actually so it makes me very proud to peer him within the ring.”

Lord Harris, husband of co-owner Woman Harris with Woman Kirkham say:

“He used to be very sharp at the start, however we additionally knew he may soar extraordinarily smartly. I’ll by no means put out of your mind Nick Skelton even mentioned to me when he noticed him: ‘In case you let me journey that horse, I’ll pop out of retirement!’

“We’ve taken it slowly and constructed him up. He has come on such a lot as a result of the entire groundwork Scott has installed through the years.

“The primary Olympic horse we had used to be Countryman [with David Broome] and it nonetheless provides us this type of thrill and Scott is unbelievable – it doesn’t topic if he’s jumped a newbie or a grand prix horse, inside of 5 mins of him leaping I’ve a WhatsApp video of the spherical and he telephones me and we communicate it via.”

This selection at the beginning gave the impression in a subject of Horse & Hound mag.

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H&H showjumping editor

Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her position as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the globe reporting from displays and interviewing riders, connections and the ones concerned at the back of the scenes. Since becoming a member of H&H from BBC Recreation in 2005, she has written on each and every matter around the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to solid control — and has interviewed gold medallists, international champions and winners galore. She additionally has first-hand revel in of running within the equestrian trade as a driving trainer and backyard supervisor.