By Paul Eddison at Versailles

The margins at the Olympics are everything. A hundredth of a second in the pool can be the difference between gold and silver. Likewise, a centimetre in archery.

For Scott Brash, it was the gravity on a jump that fell just the ride side of the ledger – or did not fall to be more precise.

The 38-year-old from Peebles was given the most nerve-wracking task of all – leading an Olympic final in team showjumping with no margin for error.

Ben Maher and Harry Charles had put GB in first place through two cycles, the Brits on one point.

By the time Brash was ready to go, the equation was simple, go clear and pick up at most two-time penalties and Great Britain would be champions. Any knockdowns and the gold would be gone.

Knowing what is needed and actually doing it are two very different things. On Hello Jefferson, Brash started well, but then needed a slice of fortune on the second jump at four, rubbing the bar but not knocking it down.

He repeated the trick later in his run, but crucially went clear, giving up just one further time penalty to seal his second Olympic gold.

Brash said: “I think you have to stay focused on your horse in that scenario. The lads had put me in an unbelievable position and thankfully it all paid off.

“It’s right up there. Jefferson was amazing, he coped unbelievably with the atmosphere and stayed relaxed and cool and focused on his job. So, it’s amazing.”

What is most remarkable about this gold medal are the family connections involved. Brash was part of the team that won this title on home soil in Greenwich 12 years ago, with Maher also in the quartet.

The other two members were Nick Skelton and a certain Peter Charles – the father of Harry.

With this victory, the Charles’s become the first father-son combination to win Olympic gold for Team GB since 1948 – rowers Dickie and Charles Burnell (1908) the last to do it.

That means that Brash has now won an Olympic gold alongside two generations of the Charles family, a remarkable feat in its own right.

He said: “Me and Ben feel a bit like the old veterans. Pete played a massive role, even here. It’s invaluable having him on our shoulder, giving advice. Having that mentor is really good for all of us.

“Harry is only 25 but he’s very experienced already. It’s amazing to have good riders coming up in our country and I think the future looks bright.”

And his role stretched beyond just holding his nerve in Greenwich and now Versailles.

The younger Charles revealed afterwards just how much he was inspired by watching his father and teammates succeed 12 years ago.

He said: “I was at Greenwich Park; I was 13 when I watched these two boys. It’s pretty cool. They are both my heroes, guys I’ve looked up to since I started riding. To be on the podium with them, my inner, younger self is freaking out a little bit.

“It was probably that moment that I realised. My dad wanted me to be a golfer, so I was playing a lot of golf and riding a few ponies at the same time. I realised I was a lot better at riding a horse than swinging a golf club. So that was definitely the most pivotal moment.”

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