Team, Men

The event consisted of two rounds with each team having three riders, all three scores in both rounds to count towards the team score. The gold medal in this event came down to Great Britain against the surprising team from Chile, led by Óscar Cristi, who won a silver medal in individual jumping. In the second round of jumping the final rider for Britain was Harry Llewellyn aboard Foxhunter. Llewellyn needed a ride with only 4.00 faults for Great Britain to win gold, but Foxhunter was perfect and they rode a clean round. Chile’s silver medal, along with Cristi’s silver in the individual, are the only Olympic equestrian medals won by Chile through 2012. The bronze medal went to the United States, which had never before won a medal in this event.

Llewellyn was feted in Britain for his efforts, as this was the only gold medal Great Britain won in 1952, in the final medal event on the last day of competition at Helsinki, but Foxhunter was the real star. He won the King George V Gold Cup three times in his career (1948, 1950, 1953), and was on 12 winning Nations’ Cup Teams. Llewellyn often received autograph requests for Foxhunter. After his death, the Foxhunter Jumping Championship was started to introduce young riders in Britain to show jumping. His skeleton was preserved by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.