Dramatic scenes unfolded during the men’s individual showjumping final on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics when top Swedish rider and world No. 1 Henrick von Eckermann was unseated from his horse and collided with a sign.
BBC commentators Andy Austin and Nick Luck were left astonished as Von Eckermann lost control of his horse, King Edward, mid-course.
Just 35 seconds into their performance, it seemed King Edward lost his footing after a jump.
The horse then surged towards the side of the arena and came to a sudden halt, sending Von Eckermann tumbling forward into a piece of equipment.
The rider appeared to hit the ground on his feet before falling backward onto the dusty surface. Fortunately, he got up quickly, visibly shaken but unharmed, and pursued King Edward, who had bolted away.
The Swedish rider, who secured gold in team jumping at Tokyo 2020 and won two golds at the 2022 World Championships, was disqualified following the incident.
Austin remarked on the BBC that it was “the most extraordinary thing” he had ever witnessed.
Eurosport commentator Richard Vaughan commented: “I can’t believe it. Something seemed off. He appeared a bit strange yesterday; they managed to navigate well initially, but then it all fell apart.”
Vaughan noted the earlier successes, stating, “They cleared the big double, and the water jump seemed fine, but then the horse just seemed to run away.”
Christian Kukuk of Germany went on to win gold aboard Checker 47, while silver was claimed by Steve Guerdat and Dynamix De Belheme. The bronze medal was awarded to the Netherlands’ Maikel van der Vleuten with Beauville Z, and Team GB’s Scott Brash and Ben Maher finished in sixth and ninth places, respectively.
More updates to come…
