Brothers crowned world champions in England Mounted Games triumph

Two Somerset brothers are celebrating being named World Champions in what is believed to be a unique achievement for siblings.

Rory and Jack Capel, from Wootton Courtenay, were part of the England team which was crowned World Team Champions at the International Mounted Games Association World Championships in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, last weekend.

For the brothers, aged 30 and 33 respectively, the victory was particularly sweet because they have spent much of their lives competing on horseback and now have a world title to share.

Rory said the fact that he and his older brother know each other so well proved a significant advantage when they lined up alongside their England team-mates.

“We know each other inside and out, how to get the best out of each other,” he said.

“And I think it settles the team around us, it sort of helped everything to have that link with each other.”

Mounted Games is a fast-paced equestrian relay sport in which riders and ponies race against each other in a series of tests involving speed, precision and teamwork.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, devised the sport in 1957 as a way to encourage young riders to develop their skills without the need for expensive ponies. It has since developed into a fiercely competitive international sport, although it remains amateur – meaning there was no prize money waiting for the Capel brothers after their world triumph.

Instead, they returned from France with medals, a team trophy and the kudos of becoming world champions. And the victory had an added significance because of the country in which it was achieved.

England dominated Mounted Games for many years, but France and Italy have become increasingly powerful forces in international competition. France had won five of the previous six annual World Team Championships.

Rory said that made England’s victory on French soil all the more satisfying.

“England dominated the sport for many years, but more recently the Italians and then the French have taken over,” he said.

“So it was very nice to go over to France and win on their soil.”

For Rory, riding is more than a competitive passion. When he is not representing England, he works on horseback as a stunt rider in films, putting the skills developed through years of Mounted Games to a very different use.

For both brothers, their love of horses began at home in West Somerset – thanks in large part to their mother, Bella, who introduced them to riding when they were children.

“As soon as I could walk, I could ride,” joked Rory.

The brothers’ world championship triumph is the latest chapter in a long international career. Records from the sport show Rory competing for England at previous World Team Championships, while Jack has represented both England and Scotland at international level.

Now, though, the brothers have achieved something they can celebrate together: a world title won as team-mates, representing their country on the international stage.