What impeccable timing British showjumper Peter Charles has, mustering up his first clear round of London 2012 in the jump off, clinching team gold. The equine side of Blue Fin Towers went wilder than they did when Bruce Springsteen rocked up at Royal Windsor last May.
I couldn't believe it. I was bouncing off the walls, and felt terribly inspired and proud, and all the things you're supposed to be when Brits win medals, but I really couldn't believe it.
A few months back, Brit showjumper Robert Smith (son of "V" signs for victory Harvey), said our team didn't have a hope in Hades of winning gold in London (I'm paraphrasing). He came in for a lot of flack, which seemed ludicrous to me at the time given the amount of people who, off the record, agreed with him.
Me included. I put money on Britain's dressage squad winning team and individual medals, any fool with access to the FEI results record could have predicted the same, but it was a brave soul who did likewise on our showjumpers. On paper, they didn't have it. But you know what they say, "Bad on paper, good in an Olympic jump off".
And much as I like to bash the dressage-marketing drum, showjumping is a more accessible sport in terms of being easy to comprehend – leave the poles up and you win. Pole down = four faults. Leave them up going faster later on = you're in there.
Having just walked past a (what's the collective noun for men you wouldn't expect to like showjumping?) watching a rerun of the medal win on a big screen by London Bridge station, I'm hoping jumping now bounces back to the glory days of Harvey Smith in terms of coverage and popularity in Britain. This is a sport broadcasters are happy for Britain to be good at.
In addition – because I always want more, it was my first word – I'd now like the sport's terminology to enter everyday parlance. So, next time you see someone trip, please holler, in your best pinched-nose tanoy voice "four faults", please. Thank you.
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