Olympic showjumper speaks out after being thrown from world's best horse

One of the favourites for gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics showjumping found themselves crashed out of medal contention after their horse unseated them.

Henrik von Eckermann, representing Sweden, had been riding his horse King Edward.

Going into the Paris Games, the horse was statistically the best jumping horse in the world, meaning he was in pole position to top the podium.

But Von Eckermann's dreams of getting another medal to add to the gold he bagged at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics crashed back down to Earth with an almighty bang after he was quite literally thrown to the floor by the mount.

The Swede had been part way through the individual equestrian final, held at the historic Palace of Versailles, when it all went wrong after the seventh jump.

Going over two jumps, one shaped like the base of the Eiffel Tower and the other themed around clocks, Von Eckermann appeared to start losing control of King Edward with the horse veering off to the left.

The horse then continued at speed right in to signage of the official Olympic mascots where it stopped. Annoyingly for Von Eckermann, he did not stop and summersaulted over the top of the front of King Edward and the signage.

Thankfully both horse and rider were unhurt, with the Swedish gold medal hopeful saying it was the 'worst thing' that's ever happened to him.

Explaining what happened to Sportbladet, he said: "It’s a bit unforgivable on my part... but what should I do? I’m the one who makes it up, it’s nothing more than that. It’s a shame."

Von Eckermann said he felt ‘shame' in having 'the horse I have and I’m not successful'.

On exactly why King Edward unseated him, the Olympian said it was down to the first water jump on the course.

He said: "Then we got too high a jump. In a way, we got a lot of power forward and on landing I was already heading to the right and he chooses a little to the left.

"In this I lose my balance and it makes him wonder what is going on."

Von Eckermann continued: "It goes so fast. You only think when you land where the horse is going so that nothing happens to him.

"You go to the horse... that he is fine. It’s run so there’s not much to do."

He said that despite breaking a leg in previous mishaps, it was the worst moment of his career.

"I just want to go home to my son and family," Von Eckermann added.

Guys??? https://t.co/KdULc1We1h pic.twitter.com/gFLD1rmHlD

— notbri.sol (@Xhakaed) August 6, 2024

Commentary on social media couldn't believe what happened to the rider.

One X user wrote: "Nah this Olympics is cursed, did you guys just see what happened in the showjumping?"

While another posted: "Rise of the planet of the horses."

Germany won gold with rider Christian Kukuk and horse Checker.