THERE was a touching moment at the Rio medal ceremony when bronze medallist Eric Lamaze put his arm around Great Britain’s first individual Olympic showjumping champion, Nick Skelton, and uttered a few quiet words in his ear.
“He said it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” says Nick, obviously touched by the gesture. “And I think, genuinely, all the riders felt the same — so many were crying, I couldn’t believe it. They said things like, ‘You deserve it’ and ‘My God, it’s been a long time…’”
These early tributes have escalated into an unprecedented surge of adulation towards this somewhat reluctant hero. There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of messages of congratulations, including a text from Ann Moore, the last British showjumper to have won an individual…
