Riders back calls for change after Harry Charles's fall

The FEI is to discuss two-stride vertical to oxer doubles after Harry Charles and his horse fell

- By JENNIFER DONALD and ELEANOR JONES

HUNDREDS of riders have backed Harry Charles’s call for change, after he had “probably the worst fall of my career”.

Harry said he was lucky that he and the experienced horse he was riding escaped serious injury after they fell through the second element of a two-stride vertical to oxer double in a 1.45m national class at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at Wellington International, US. Harry had come in steadily, got a good shot and “rode it perfectly”, but the 14-year-old gelding took off after only one stride.

Harry posted on social media about such doubles; he is concerned that having the oxer second means horses are more eager to take it on.

“Luckily both the horse and I are OK,” he told H&H. “I’ve torn a couple of muscles.

“I’ve had over 400 people reach out with their stories”

“I didn’t realise how big a problem the vertical-oxer twostride double was until I posted and I’ve had over 400 people reach out with stories of broken backs, necks and horses dying. A lot of top-level riders agree this combination is dangerous.”

Harry said horses have to make some mistakes to learn, but risk has to be minimised.