Ben Maher and Explosion W win the 20th edition of the Rolex IJRC Top Ten Final

It was the Olympic champion who marked the end of an unforgettable 2021 by winning the 20th edition of the Rolex IJRC Top Ten Final. Thanks to an outstanding double clear and an extremely fast second round, Ben Maher and Explosion W showed an understanding of each other powerful enough to leave spectators speechless. There was such a vibrant and obvious harmony between all the horse and rider combinations competing in this prestigious competition between the ten best in the world, who once again, with a fence down here and there as happens in classes of such a high level, rode as only the very best can do.

Henrick von Eckermann with his outstanding King Edward finished second with other perfect double clear and just a handful of extra seconds in the second round. Third place on the podium went to Belgium’s Jerome Guery riding Quel Homme de Hus, who jumped clear in the first round and had one fence down in the second, a superb result for the Belgium rider.

It was a wonderful competition that revealed all the complicity there is between the riders and their horses, as well as the honest feelings in their words when they were interviewed immediately after finishing each round.

Image: Ben Maher, Henrik von Eckermann, Jérôme Guery with Eleonora Ottaviani (IJRC Director) and François Mathy JR (IJRC Vice President)