It has been a significant triumph over the fear of failure. The Brits won silver in Los Angeles in 1984 as if by right, and when they won silver again in Seoul four years later, it was nothing less than anybody expected. Jolly well done and all that, but we were rather hoping for gold. But a series of disasters followed, mostly in the venomous cross-country section. Competitors, caught, like a cat in an adage, between too cautious and too bold, labouring under the unfamiliar burden of responsibility, simply went ahead and stuffed it up.
Fear is the quickest way in sport to find bad luck.
This, then, was a triumphant fanfare, even if it is one in a minor key. And it may not even be your problem, not in a team event. You can have got everything right in your preparation over the four years span, over the lifetime of the relationship between you and your horse - and you have your moment of fulfilment snatched away by somebody else in your own team. His horse, Jaybee, caught a hind leg on the water obstacle and that was that. The horse crashed more or less in slow motion into the water, Stark rather magnificently still in the saddle, as if he thought the horse might still somehow find an extra leg to stand on.