Flicking The V’s. So Harvey Smith then, showjumping legend became all the more legendary in 1971 when in the British Showjumping Derby, he completed the course, won and did a reverse V for Victory sign at a part of the crowd. Many say it was at the judges, Harvey claims no knowledge of the meaning of the gesture – which is aboiut as disingenuous as these things can get.
Anyway, he got the prize money (‘2000 – a lot of money in 1971) taken away from him. Some say it was a class thing, Harvey was working class son of a builder. Perhaps it was more proper anti-Yorkshire bias. Certainly at this period in time sport was full of bluff Yorkshiremen who spoke what they thought, and often displayed that they did not think very often int he process.
And of course his name became slang for the very gesture. What more can you ask for. Oh, to see it. Luckily the BBC will oblige. Hooray for the BBC and their online rudity archive.