Olympics-Equestrian-Britain win team jumping gold ahead of US and France

VERSAILLES (Reuters) -British showjumpers Ben Maher, Harry Charles, and Scott Brash won Olympic team gold on Friday, making stellar rides with almost no errors on a challenging track.

Securing their third team win in the discipline with just two time penalties and zero knocked-off rails, Britain was ahead of the United States with 4 and France with 7 penalty points.

The victory added to Britain's team eventing gold earlier in the week.

Riders were asked to steer their mounts over 14 obstacles reminiscent of Paris landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or Notre-Dame cathedral, some as high as 1.65 metres (5.41 feet), in just under 80 seconds.

Charles, on 15-year-old bay gelding Romeo 88, had one of the day's best performances, incurring no penalties.

The crowd erupted in cheers when French first-time Olympic participant Olivier Perreau - called in as the replacement after another rider's horse failed the vet check - also had a perfect ride on Dorai D'Aiguilly, briefly lifting his team to the top of the board.

French President Emmanuel Macron was among the 16,500 spectators watching the horses fly against the backdrop of the famous Versailles chateau.

The track was tough compared to other events, riders told reporters. "It's the maximum level could possibly have in terms of technical challenges", German rider Christian Kukuk said.

Germany on Thursday delivered the best performance, with all three of its riders reaching the finish line without a single penalty point, but qualification scores were erased for Friday's finals.

Mexico, which had harboured some hopes for a medal, needed to withdraw on Friday morning, citing veterinary reasons for one of its horses, Porthos Maestro, ridden by Carlos Hank Guerreiro. The team had no fallback option left after another of its mounts had already failed pre-competition vet checks.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel;Editing by Alison Williams)