Laura Collett hails horse for leading her to Paris 2024 glory

Laura Collett praised her prince of a horse as he delivered Olympic gold in the garden of France's famous Sun King.

The gilded grandeur of Louis XIV's Versailles seems the fitting choice for Team GB to make the top of the podium for the first time in Paris, continuing their run of winning a gold at every Games since 1896.

Collett and Tom McEwen won team gold three years ago in Tokyo and joined forces with Ros Canter to defend their title, as hosts France and Japan completed the podium.

They'll get the medals while their respective horses, London 52, JL Dublin, and Lordships Graffalo will just get the treats.

"I wouldn't have wanted to be sat on a nervous horse but thankfully he rose to the occasion," she said.

"He loves showing off and he thinks he's right at home with the palace in the background and everyone watching him. He's waited three years for a full stadium like that.

"The noise was unreal, but it didn't distract him at all. He's a true professional and I think he knew what was at stake. I wouldn't wanted to have sat on any other horse.

"We knew coming here we stood a good chance because the horsepower Team GB has at the moment is second to none, we could have fielded another team with the reserves as they could have won a gold medal."

It's been a difficult few days for the British equestrian team in Paris, following the suspension of six-time Olympic dressage medallist Charlotte Dujardin, after footage emerged of her repeatedly whipping a horse in training.

But Collett insists the team's performance would not be possible if their horses were mistreated.

"It's huge for our sport for people to see our horses go out there and look a million dollars," she added,

"There is a huge team behind us that make it possible, and horses don't perform like that if they are not happy.

"Our job was to focus on our horses and show the world that they are the real stars of the show, we are just the ones that get to enjoy these moments on them."

Britain had a slender five-point advantage heading into the decisive jumping discipline. Canter picked up just four penalties and McEwen went clear, meaning Collett had the luxury of knowing she could knock down four fences and still win.

“I wasn't that nervous watching her," insisted McEwen, now three-time Olympic medallists. "She jumped amazingly, I thought I would be more nervous, I much prefer doing it myself to be honest.

“But it was a class round from Laura, and it was poetry in motion."

These equestrians are made of tough stuff, Collett spent seven days in coma 11 years ago after a fall which left her blind in her right eye. She wears special googles in bright sunlight, which she certainly needed as temperatures reached 34 degrees in Versaille.

She describes London 52 as her horse of a lifetime, though he was outside her budget when first spotted in Germany. Instead, she clubbed together with co-owners Karen Bartlett and Keith Scott, training the horse at her base in the Cotswolds.

Collett and McEwen could also add to their medal haul in the individual event later today, sitting third and fourth in those standings.

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