Young rider Chloe Aston has become a beneficiary of Ben Maher’s growing string of grand prix rides.
The Olympic gold medal-winning showjumper has passed on Quainton Stud’s Quiet Easy 4 to Chloe, because Ben does not have enough space on the lorry.
“I’m in the lucky position to have a team of extremely good horses,” said Ben, who last year took on rides for American owner Jane Clark.
He has recently had big money grand prix wins on two of her horses, Cella and Urico, at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.
“Quiet Easy is a great horse, but unfortunately, going forward, there might not have been space for him at shows,” Ben told H&H. “He’s better if he’s out regularly and with Chloe he will be number one.”
Quiet Easy has been winning classes up to 1.50m with Ben in Florida.
Chloe (pictured below), 18, has been riding for Quainton Stud, Bucks, for two years and has been based there since the end of last year.
“It’s exciting and nerve-racking,” said Chloe, whom H&H named as one to watch in 2011. “I’m hoping that Ben will give me lots of advice.”
Stud owner Emma Phillips was keen to stress that the decision does not signal a change in her relationship with Ben — they share ownership of both his Olympic horse Tripple X III and Robin Hood W.
“We both agreed that this is what’s best for the horse,” she said. “He’s one that I’ve always been excited about and Chloe is an up-and-coming star, so hopefully this will be a launch pad for her.”
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (11 April 2013)
