Olympics
Exclusive: Scott Brash Eyes Historic Third Olympic Gold in LA 2028
Showjumper Scott Brash sets sights on a third Olympic gold in LA 2028 after Team GB's victory in Paris. Discover his journey, reflections, and goals for the future.
Image Credits: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Scottish showjumper Scott Brash can rightly savour his stunning Olympic success.
But the medal-hungry Scott is already targeting securing an historic hat-trick of gold medals at the LA Olympics in four years’ time.
Paris Triumph Cements Brash’s Olympic Legacy
Proud Peebles-born native Brash dazzled with the ride of his life to help Team GB win team jumping gold in Paris last month.
A near-faultless performance in the French capital, in the stunning setting of Chateau de Versailles, saw Team GB win their first jumping medal since London 2012.
It was in London 12 years ago that Brash dazzled to win his first Olympic medal and, despite having guaranteed Olympic legendary status, he wants to taste more podium success.
It never gets boring to win a gold medal.
Scott Brash
The Hunger for More Gold
“But honestly, I’m already focusing on LA. It’s years of work that goes into winning a medal, already we’re trying to produce the next horse to try and bring back a medal.”
“It has sunk in a little bit what I’ve achieved, but in our game it’s very quickly on to the next show.”
“It was absolutely incredible what we achieved in Paris, but we’re looking at the next Olympics now.”
“The Olympics is always something which is extra special, you seem to touch people’s lives that aren’t even in the show umping world.”
“Everyone is talking about it when you win at the Olympics, I’ve had so many lovely messages.”
“It’s been great, it’s something I’ll reflect and cherish for the rest of my life.”
The Team Behind the Success
Brash added: “An incredible amount of work goes into that success. It takes years of daily training, one-to-one with the horse, because you can only achieve that success if you have an unbelievable partnership with your horse.”
“You can’t do it if you don’t have that. You only create that if you invest that time and you get to know them inside out. You need to think as one.”
“Our sport is very unique in that sense. It’s quite extraordinary, these horses fight for you in the ring, and they love the atmosphere of performing on the biggest stage.”
“It’s an amazing feeling when you know your horse is desperate to jump clear and desperate to win.”
“Those feelings you get are better than anything!”
“You get caught in your own bubble, which I’m sure is the same in other sports, but there’s so many people who play a part.”
“Whether that’s the incredible grooms who do an amazing job looking after the horses – they spent all their life with these horses – there’s physios, vets, farriers, owners, sponsors, so many people who put in so much work to get us there.”
Brash and his horse Hello Jefferson had to jump clear on the final ride of a gripping competition in Paris.
But with huge pressure on his shoulders, 38-year-old Brash delivered on the biggest stage to cement his place as a double Olympic medallist.
“That final day, that final round and winning the gold, it was incredible,” reflected Brash.
“The new Olympic format for the jumping has made it really entertaining, it’s not over until the very last jump.”
“You can literally go from gold medal position to last, it’s really as tight as that right until the last jump.”
It’s really exciting and thrilling for everyone, so many people have said how entertaining it was to watch.
Scott Brash
“I was the very last rider to go, and I had to jump clear to get gold – and thankfully we managed to do that because it was a tough course.”
“I thought there was a great buzz in Paris, we had such great support out there.”
“There as a real feel-good factor, everyone was in a great spirit.”
The Olympics is just something extra, the hype, the buzz, there’s never a dull moment. It really is amazing.”
Looking Ahead to LA 2028
LA might not be until 2028, but Brash craves another chance to stand on the podium and to compete in a fourth Olympics, a feat previously only achieved by a Scot, when runner Eilish McColgan compete in the 10,000m in Paris this summer.
“You experience a load of different emotions when you get up on the podium,” reflected Brash.
“I felt joy, happiness – you’re obviously delighted – but at the same time there was a lot of relief as well.”
“You feel a mixture of things when you win something big like a gold medal.”
“Standing on the podium is always a moment of reflection. It’s just a great sense of pride and achievement for what we achieved.”
“I think they’ll be no better Olympic Games than London for us, winning in front of your home crowd, that was absolutely a dream come true. That’s a moment we’ll probably never have the same opportunity again.”
“But all the Olympics I’ve competed in have been special for different reasons.”
“However, the setting in Paris, at Versailles, with all the history, was just incredible.”
“And I don’t think I’ll ever ride a more important round that final round, we probably had the whole nation watching and with us.”
“To deliver under that type of pressure, that meant a lot. They were both incredibly special moments of my life.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.