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‘I took more risk and it worked’: Ben Maher gives Britain a major boost at World Championships

Martha Terry Martha Terry

    • Ben Maher jumped a superb round in the opening speed leg at the Agria FEI World Showjumping Championships to slot briefly into second spot and give the British team a monumental boost. 

    “We had a team discussion after the first two riders, and I decided to take a bit more risk and it worked out,” said Ben.

    Riding his reserve horse Faltic HB (Baltic VDL x Concorde), after he decided Explosion W wouldn’t be fit in time, Ben rode a beautifully judged clear round to stop the clock on 82.52sec. Ben was chasing the target set by long-time leader Nicola Philippaerts and Katanga VH Dingeshof of 82.01sec, and his round relegated Ireland’s Bertram Allen and Pacino Amiro into third. However within minutes of Ben finishing, Frenchman Julien Epaillard (Caracole De La Roque) broke the 80sec barrier to take the lead.

    Faltic is an elastic jumper and this smooth round proved deceptively fast, as Ben never looked to be chasing the 12-year-old stallion for the time. Ben explained that Faltic is a small horse and speed hasn’t come naturally to him.

    “He used to be quite slow and we were struggling to make the time allowed, but with experience he’s learnt to go faster,” said Ben. “If it looks fast, I’m going to get in trouble; I have to ride him so he doesn’t realise he’s going fast.

    “He’s very athletic and brave, but he’s smaller than I’m used to – he’s like an overgrown pony! But hopefully he’ll ‘grow’ this week and show us what he’s made of.”

    At this stage, the third rotation of four riders, Ben’s result has moved Britain up well up the order. Ben’s team-mates jumped earlier in the day, with Joe Stockdale knocking a rail at the triple bar, and Harry Charles hitting the final fence.

    Meanwhile, leaders Belgium have three top-10 placings at this stage, and are looking in red-hot form.

    World Showjumping Championships: surprises

    Swede Malin Baryard-Johnsson, one of the favourites with six world championships already under her belt, had a surprising eight faults to lie well down the order on her Olympic ride H&M Indiana. The mare rubbed a few oxers before jumping very high over the water and dipping a toe, and then lowering a rail in the latter part of the course.

    And European champion Andre Thieme and DSP Chakaria also had a slightly ragged round by his high standard to add four seconds and complete mid-order on 89.54sec. Andre had already had one slight miscommunication with his chestnut mare, and when heading to the red and white vertical she came back too much when he took a pull and they paid the price.

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    Martha Terry
    Martha Terry

    H&H features editor
    Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
    Martha Terry

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