Benjamin Richard Maher MBE (born 30 January 1983, in Enfield[1]) is a British show jumper. He represented Britain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2009 European Championships in Windsor, 2012 London Olympics, 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. He won the team jumping gold at the London Olympics with Team GB, their first team jumping gold medal for 60 years, an individual gold for Great Britain at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and team jumping gold again at the 2024 Paris Summer Games.[2] That win tied him with three-day eventer Richard Meade and dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin as the most successful British Olympic equestrians.[3]
| Ben Maher MBE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Maher in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Benjamin Richard Maher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Show jumping | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 January 1983 Enfield, Greater London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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He also won bronze at the 2011 Europeans Championships in Madrid, Spain. He has won many international Grand Prix, including the Olympia Grand Prix, the King George V Gold Cup at Hickstead and an FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix at Wellington with various rides.
Maher was selected as part of the 2016 British Olympic Show Jumping Team with Tic Tac[4]
Maher began riding at the age of eight. He was educated at Saffron Walden County High School, and after finishing school, he trained with Liz Edgar before travelling to Switzerland to further his education with Beat Mandli.[5]
He had success as a young rider, winning Team Gold with the British Young Riders Team at the European Championships in 2004. He is now a regular member for the British team, and has been ranked as high as 2nd on the Longines World Rankings.
International Championship results
edit| Results | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Event | Horse | Placing | Notes | |||||||
| 2004 | European Young Rider Championships | Alfredo | 
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Team | |||||||
| 30th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Rolette | 5th | Team | |||||||
| 19th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2009 | World Cup Final | Robin Hood W | 7th | ||||||||
| 2009 | European Championships | Robin Hood W | 6th | Team | |||||||
| 15th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2011 | European Championships | Triple X III | 
|
Team | |||||||
| 12th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2012 | Olympic Games | Triple X III |
|
Team | |||||||
| 9th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2013 | European Championships | Cella |
|
Team | |||||||
|
Individual | ||||||||||
| 2015 | European Championships | Diva II | 4th | Team | |||||||
| 23rd | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Tic Tac | 12th | Team | |||||||
| 25th | Individual | ||||||||||
| 2019 | European Championships | Explosion W |
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Team | |||||||
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Individual | ||||||||||
| Longines Global Champions Tour | Explosion W | ||||||||||
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Explosion W | Team | ||||||||
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Individual | ||||||||||
| EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew | |||||||||||
Career
editIn 2005, CSIO5* Hickstead, Great Britain: Maher won the Hickstead Derby
In 2008, Ben competed at the Olympic Games with Rolette.
In 2010, CSI5*-W s'-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands: On 26 March, Maher and Wonderboy III took the top spot in the feature class of the opening day. This was the 1.50m Rabobank Prijs.
CSI5*-W London Olympia, Great Britain: Ben and Noctambule Courcelle won the Puissance.[6]
In 2011, CSI5*-W Basel, Switzerland: Oscar took 4th prize in a speed-class.
CSI5*-W Zurich, Switzerland: Maher and Robin Hood W came 2nd in the Rolex FEI World Cup Qualifier.
CSI3* Lummen, Belgium: Tripple X III came 2nd.
CES5* European Championships, Madrid, Spain: The British team of Nick Skelton (Carlo) (1.04/0/0); Guy Williams (Titus) (7.01)/(12)/0; Ben Maher (Tripple X III) (2.76/4/4); and John Whitaker (Peppermill) (5.66/4/8) took Team Bronze. Ben and Tripple X III also took 12th position individually.
CSI5*-W Olympia Horse Show, London, UK: Ben and his home-bred Tripple X III came 1st in the Rolex FEI World Cup.
In 2012, CSI5*-W Basel, Switzerland: Tripple X III won the feature 1m55 class on Friday night.
Won gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics for Great Britain in the Team showjumping.[7]
Maher was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to equestrianism.[8][9]
In 2013, won team gold and individual silver medals at the European Championships, riding Cella.
Won Olympia London International Horse Show Grand Prix riding Tripple X.[10]
Won the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of London at Olympic Park with his grey mare Cella.
In 2014, won the $125,000 Grand Prix CSI3* at WEF with Cella.
Won WEF World Cup Qualifier on Cella[11]
Won the €130,000 Grand Prix in Guangzhou, China with Vainquer[12]
Won the Olympia London International Horse Show Grand Prix on Diva II.[13]
In 2015, won World Cup CSI5* at WEF on Diva II[14]
Won Rotterdam Nations Cup on Diva II, with team members Joe Clee/Utamaro D'Ecaussines, Jessica Mendoza/Spirit T, Michael Whitaker/Cassionato[15]
Tied for first with Karim Elzoghby/Amelia at Global Champions Tour Paris Grand Prix[16]
In 2016, won the $500,000 Rolex CSI5* at WEF with Sarena[17]
Won the Beijing World Cup Qualifier on Wavanta[18]
Won the Rome Nations Cup with Tic Tac and teammates Jessica Mendoza/Spirit T, Michael Whitaker/Cassionato, and John Whitaker/Ornellaia
He won two consecutive Longines Global Champions wins in 2018 and 2019.[19]
Won the Individual Showjumping Gold Medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics, riding Explosion W.
Owners
editBen Maher has formally ridden horses under several owners, most notably Jane Forbes Clark and Poden Farms, whom he used to also train the owner, Emily Moffitt.
He has been riding for American owners Charlotte Rossetter & Pamela Wright since late 2019. Their partnership began when they purchased shares in his Olympic Gold Medal partner, Explosion w, and Ben since gone on to ride exclusively for them with new horses.
Ben is currently ranked Number 2 in the World, according to the FEI Jumping Rankings.
He bases in Wellington, Florida each year from late December until late March, and Europe throughout the summer.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ GRO reference: March 1983, Vol. 12, Page 0878
- ^ Maher hopes for Equestrian Boost
- ^ "Harry Charles revels in equestrian team gold after swapping fairways for saddle". The Guardian. PA Media. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ "Showjumping team". www.equestrianteamgbr.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ "Ben Maher – LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR". www.globalchampionstour.com. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ Info from BBC red button live transmission.
- ^ "Jumping Team results – Equestrian – London 2012 Olympics". www.olympic.org. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 25.
- ^ [1] Cabinet Office
- ^ Horse & Hound Article 23 December 2013
- ^ "Ben Maher and Cella Master $125,000 Fidelity Investments® Grand Prix CSI 3*". Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ "Ben Maher MBE takes the top spot in the CSI 3* €130,000 Grand Prix in Guangzhou, China. - The Official Website of British Showjumping". www.britishshowjumping.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ "Great Britain's Ben Maher defends London Olympia title". BBC Sport. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ "Ben Maher and Diva II Top $372,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI-W 5* Presented by Douglas Elliman Real Estate". pbiec.coth.com. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ "British make it a Furusiyya hat-trick in Rotterdam". 19 June 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ Showjumping, www.worldofshowjumping.com, World of. "Split win for Karim Elzoghby and Ben Maher in the Prix de la Ville de Paris | World of Showjumping". www.worldofshowjumping.com. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Ben Maher & Sarena Win $500,000 Rolex CSI5* Grand Prix at WEF". www.noellefloyd.com. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ "Ben Maher enjoys Longines FEI World Cup Jumping China League success in Beijing". 2 May 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ "Longines Global Champions Tour". www.gcglobalchampions.com. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
External links
edit- Official website
- Ben Maher (and here) at FEI
- Ben Maher at Olympics.com
- Ben Maher at Olympedia
- Ben Maher at Team GB
