The “European Young Riders Academy” that is supported by the CHIO Aachen partner Rolex dedicates itself to promoting young show jumping talents European-wide. One of the aspiring stars of this project is the British rider, Harry Charles. He claimed the double European Championsip title of the Young Riders in Fontainebleau yesterday and has thus qualified to compete at the CHIO Aachen for the first time.

Could there be a better 19^th birthday present than taking the double European Championship title, as the British aspiring show-jumper Harry Charles did yesterday? Hardly. Unless one is allowed to compete at the CHIO Aachen for the first time the week after!

Peter Charles, son of the Olympic gold medallist, Peter Charles, can now look forward to what some professional riders work hard at achieving their whole life long. Harry, who snapped up one of the coveted places in the European Young Riders Academy this year, will be cantering into the ring at the Soers for the first time this week to compete against the best of the best in front of a crowd of 40,000 people.

It will at the same time be his premier at five-star level. But Harry doesn’t seem to have a problem with “first times”. He gave his debut in a CSI4* Grand Prix earlier this March and rode to victory ahead of his father. That is somehow in line with the motto of the outstanding talent: “There are no limits except those which one sets oneself!”