Hester targets historic eighth Olympics for Team GB

Carl Hester won his fourth Olympic medal in Paris two years ago [PA Media] Carl Hester hopes to set a new record by representing Team GB at an eighth Olympic Games. The dressage rider helped Great Britain win silver at the FEI World Championships earlier this week, qualifying them for Los Angeles 2028. Hester, 59, helped win team dressage gold at London 2012, before adding team silver four years later and bronze medals at the last two Olympics. He first competed at the Barcelona Games in 1992 and since then has only missed out in 1996 and 2008. "To hold a record like that would be something I would be incredibly proud of," said Hester, who jointly holds the British record of seven Games appearances with show-jumper Nick Skelton. "You can't imagine how all these preparations fall into place, the fact that I had a horse at each of the Olympics in the past that was capable to go, so I have to be incredibly grateful to all of the owners of these horses that have helped me keep prepared for every Olympic Games." He continued: "I have a nine-year-old which would be considered young for the Olympics, so he'll be 11 obviously in two years time, and he should be at the top of his game. "Whether he will be good enough to go I can't be sure, but to go to an eighth Olympics then, you really would be able to think about a happy retirement after that, wouldn't you? "I'm not saying I'm going to because I get caught out every time I say that, but it would be a wonderful way (to end) if my career could get that far." Carl Hester won bronze at the last Olympic Games alongside Charlotte Fry (left) and Becky Moody [PA Media] Hester, from the tiny Channel Island of Sark, says he appreciates how tough selection will be for the 2028 Games as there are many obstacles ahead and much hard work to be done. "The older you get the more expectations are put on you," he told BBC Guernsey. "We have actually been successful at the last four Olympic Games winning medals, so that's really important that continues because we get funding through the lottery - and the more successful we are obviously the more funds that are available for us all to use for our preparations to get better. "We can't guarantee who's going to be on the team because obviously we're (each) working with a horse and your horse has to be completely sound and ready. "Probably one month to five weeks before the Games, that's when they do the final selection because you have to make sure that the horse is fit, (and) you're fit. "There are only three riders selected for the team to go to LA, that's a very small amount. "There's obviously a huge pool of riders in the United Kingdom that would love to be on that team, so there's a lot of combinations that you have to beat, it's not just a question of being selected because you've been to seven others."