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‘You only get one true chance’: Ben Maher reflects on his Olympic gold at London International Horse Show

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • Ben Maher reflected on his Olympic individual gold today at the London Horse Show, during an equestrian Team GBR medal parade.

    “It was an incredible time – we were very, very lucky to be there with the Covid situation over the past 18 months,” said Ben, circling the arena on his medal-winning partner Explosion W.

    “Explosion was incredible. He’s the horse of a lifetime and deserved that moment.

    “You always dream of getting to an Olympics. As an athlete, certainly in horses, you only get one true chance when you have the right horse at the right time. Sometimes, things are meant to be. It was a real moment and one I’ll definitely never forget.

    “It’s four years training, it’s a team effort and I have a big team. It all comes down to 60 seconds and you’re so focused, it doesn’t sink in until afterwards.”

    During their London Horse Show appearance, Ben Maher also mentioned future plans for the 12-year-old Explosion W, who belongs to his rider, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright.

    He said: “I’ll give him a short rest now. He was great in Geneva last week [where the pair won the Top 10 Final]. We’ll start to make a plan towards Paris. He’s still young enough and I hope he’ll be there.”

    London Horse Show: Ben Maher was among the British team members who paraded

    Members of Britain’s successful 2021 championship teams at the London International Horse Show medal parade. Credit: Peter Nixon

    Before Explosion’s entrance, other members of Britain’s successful championship teams from this year were driven around the arena in an open wagon, while owners and grooms entered on foot to receive the crowd’s applause.

    Sir Lee Pearson, a triple Paralympic gold medallist this summer, described his sensitive home-bred ride Breezer as “a little lion” out in Tokyo and said: “We travel the world with our dancing partners and sometimes we’re the luckiest people alive.”

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    Pippa Roome
    Pippa Roome

    H&H magazine editor and eventing editor
    Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
    Pippa Roome

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