Chateau de Versailles will host the Summer Olympics 2024, testing equestrians over three disciplines— dressage, jumping, and eventing. The final roster will bring 65 top-tier athletes to the coveted land of fashion. In the run to secure the ticket, five years back, Joe Stockdale – the son of Britain’s late Olympian showjumper – left his early passion for cricket calling it “the right decision.” 

The prodigy trained as a showjumper for many years is now walking in his father’s footsteps. Everything about this sport feels special to him, and as the days leading to the Games near, he shares his moving experience so far hoping to make his father proud.

Equestrian sensation hopes to extend father’s legacy

When Joe Stockdale initially joined the world of competitive equestrian sports at 18, his only objective was to emulate his father’s success by reaching the Olympic level. Tim Stockdale, his father, was a 2008 Olympic competitor for Team GB and passed away from cancer in 2018. Joe spoke with BCC recently which was shared on X, where Joe highlighted: “current form is a massive thing but it’s such a massive up and down rollercoaster.”

Having received all the support to make his Olympic dream come true, he decided to borrow the family-owned mare Equine America Cacheral for the Games which he and his father bought off an auction. Joe said, “There are so few horses capable of competing at an Olympics, the fact I have one is a miracle. This could be my only opportunity, my only shot, so I feel a bit of pressure..”

Despite committing late, Joe wasn’t unfamiliar with the sport, he began riding as young as four and was part of the Tetrathlon and Showjumping teams in 2013. He won the British Show Jumping National Championships in August 2018 and qualified for the Horse of the Year Show.

His father was in the hospital at the time but watched his rounds via live streaming. Everything changed for Joe after Tim’s death in November, he gave up cricket and was supported by owners and sponsors to go on working with the horses.

Tim Stockdale’s career highlights and his son’s plans

Tim made his debut at an international level in 1988, he went on to represent his country in more than 50 Nations Cups. In the first round of the individual final, he secured the 16th position in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, riding Corlato.

Tim continued to compete until September 2018, before receiving his cancer diagnosis. Notably, the renowned 2010 King George V Gold Cup at Hickstead was the apex of his remarkable career.

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Joe now aspires to follow his father by qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. For Joe, being resilient, a quality he learned from his father—is the most important lesson. Joe recognizes the intense nature of the sport and says, “You lose more than you win. It’s long hours, hard work, but if we can reach that goal it’s all worth it.”

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