ROAD TO ROLEX IJRC TOP 10 FINAL: BEN MAHER

BEN MAHER (GREAT BRITAIN) - 30/01/1983 -

Ben Maher is, no doubt, a record-breaking rider. He has competed in six editions of the Rolex IJRC  Top 10 Final, including the last five. He achieved victory in 2021 aboard Explosion W. Before that, he’d finished third with Tripple X III in 2013.

He decided he wanted to become a professional rider when he was only 13 and since then he made his way into the jumping Gotha. He has been working very hard and results paid off. Facing difficulties and sacrifice, Ben became a successful young rider (team gold medallist in the European Championship in 2004). When he joined the club of the 'big boys' he started to grind out hard-to-achieve results and he soon became a mainstay in the British teams. In 2013 he wrote his name in the roll of honour of the prestigious Hickstead Derby and still remains the youngest winner of the iconic competition. In the same year, he brought the name of a British rider back to the top of the world rankings after a gap of 20 years.

The Olympic stage (Ben counts five participations) has given him great satisfaction: he was team gold at London 2012 and individual gold at Tokyo 2020 where he rode Explosion W, his ‘horse of a lifetime’. Ben was back on the Olympic podium in Paris, where he won the team gold medal.

You’ve already entered the roll of honour of this competition once in (2021 on Explosion W). Is it true that the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final holds a very particular atmosphere?

«I think the Rolex IJRC Top Ten Finals is a very exciting event. It’s an amazing evening, it’s a spectacle pinnacle of our sport with the best ten riders in the world. Always in an incredible atmosphere and some of the best showjumping you can see anywhere. The competition is so unique and the crowd and atmosphere that’s created in Geneva is like no other indoor arena ».

Which horse will you ride in the top ten and why?

«Most likely Point Break. He has been in great form recently. I will also have Dallas Vegas Batilly there and will decide this week».

What is the moment from last season that you carry in your heart?

«Paris Olympics was very memorable and my team mates were the ultimate professionals. It was a very special moment to have my wife and son watching along with my owners after Tokyo restrictions not allowing friend and family».

What plans do you have for 2025?

«We will be heading to Wellington for the winter season for our owners to enjoy watching their horses both inside and out of the competitions. After the American circuit, we will attend a combination of European shows. And possible Spruce meadows next summer».