‘He’s so affectionate, like a teddy bear’: the story of Harry Charles’s London grand prix hero Sherlock

British showjumper Harry Charles describes the past couple of weeks as a “whirlwind”. Sealing a momentous summer, the 25-year-old rider broke into the world’s top 10 ranked riders for the first time, before winning team gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics with Romeo 88 – despite breaking his arm in the build-up. He then returned home and landed the prestigious Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) of London grand prix on Sunday (18 August) with an exceptional performance from the less experienced Sherlock.

No wonder Harry was last seen celebrating with a large glug of his winner’s champagne out of the grand prix silverware on the London podium.

He dedicated Sunday’s five-star win to yard favourite Sherlock, who has an unusual personality in that he’s both “very laid-back” and extremely sensitive, saying it was “his chance to shine”.

Harry Charles and Sherlock: the journey to the top

The 11-year-old Sherlock was bred by Gustaaf Quintelier of De Donkhoeve, the same breeder as Jessica Springsteen’s Don Juan, who won last year’s LGCT London grand prix. The two horses share a grand-dam, Utopia Van De Donkhoeve. Sherlock is by Ludo Phillipaerts’ old stallion Bisquet Balou, who currently has three offspring jumping at the top of the sport, including Laura Kraut’s Bisquetta.

He came to Harry’s Hampshire base of Heathcroft Farm as a five-year-old and is now owned by Stall Zet and Harry’s father Peter Charles.

“We’ve done everything together, from his first show all the way to his first grand prix, and he’s the horse I’ve had the longest,” says Harry. “I’ve always said, and people didn’t really believe it at the time, that right from a young horse he was one of the best athletes.

“I remember driving back from Windsor when he arrived in the stable in the middle of a show to go and see him. I have a video of the first time I ever sat on him, I’ve never really filmed a horse like that before, I just had a funny feeling about him and ever since his first jump at home I’ve loved him.”

“We struggled – now I can ride him with two fingers on the flat”

Sherlock wasn’t the fastest in his early days and Harry has been working on his flatwork behind the scenes.

“I’ve struggled a lot with the time allowed with Sherlock,” Harry explains. “He would land and then take three or four strides to collect again and turn. So I’ve been really working on that over the past two years. Now he can pirouette, he can turn and he can go fast and then slow down at the snap of the fingers. He’s really, really adjustable. I can ride him with two fingers on the flat.”

Sherlock really started to catch the eye at the start of last year, when the rising 10-year-old won a ranking class on home soil and Harry predicted to H&H that Sherlock’s “time will come and it will be on a bigger stage”. Well, they don’t get much greater than your first LGCT grand prix on home soil.

“He’s had two grand prix wins now in eight months and he’s only really at the start of his career,” says Harry, mentioning his La Coruna World Cup victory in December.

“So it’s super exciting and I am so happy for him to get this big win.”

Harry Charles: “Sherlock ran forward and I fell off backwards!”

However, there was drama the day before Sunday’s feature class in London when Harry fell off the sensitive Sherlock.

“He’s very laid back but then he can just spin like there’s a switch on him,” explains Harry. “After he jumped clear [in the grand prix qualifier], I came out and went to take my jacket off and he ran forward and I fell off backwards. I had no reins so it was quite embarrassing!

“You’ll see that when I take my hat off or when a rug touches him on the side, he’s really, really sensitive but he is also the most chilled out horse, he doesn’t stress, he doesn’t get worried. He’s really funny.”

Anyone watching Sunday’s grand prix may have noticed Sherlock turning to give his devoted supergroom Georgia Ellwood a kiss as he went into the arena for his first round.

“He’s very affectionate and everyone loves him, he’s like a teddy bear,” says his rider. “He is eager to learn and so willing to please, he makes our life so easy. He hacks around at home and has a very chilled lifestyle.”

Harry’s horses are now enjoying some quality time out in the field while Harry takes some time out to reflect and let these incredible few weeks “sink in”.

“I’m so lucky to have great support and more importantly, incredible horses,” says Harry. “You know, it doesn’t always go like this, so we’re really going to enjoy it for a bit.”

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