‘One day we can be on the floor, the next we can be winning’: Ben Maher battles through injury to win showjumping’s richest prize
Ben Maher becomes the new contender for the Rolex Grand Slam by landing the world's richest prize, the $5m CPKC International at Spruce Meadows, Canada
Clearly feeling the effects of a thumping fall in the previous day’s BMO Nations Cup, Great Britain’s Ben Maher battled through three demanding rounds of 1.65m jumping to win his first ever showjumping major, the $5m CPKC International grand prix presented by Rolex, at Spruce Meadows, Canada, yesterday (13 September).
There were no double clears over the opening two rounds, so Ben Maher, carrying his four faults from round one riding 12-year-old Enjeu Du Grisien, faced five rivals in the high-calibre jump-off to determine the winner.
Out of the saddle, 43-year-old Ben was gingerly holding his right arm and his wife Sophie had advised him not to ride at all on Sunday. But although mounting proved difficult, and Enjeu is a keen, forward-going ride, there was little hint of the extent of his pain in the ring and he tackled Leopoldo Palacios’s taxing jump-off course with typical determination to post the winning time.
Ben Maher: “I came very close to not riding today”
“That’s the sport – one day we can be on the floor, the next day we can be winning,” said Ben, who fractured his shoulder in 2023.
“It was an unfortunate mistake yesterday [riding Catelly for Great Britain in round two of the BMO Nations Cup] and I paid for it. It was a long night and I came very close to not riding today but I persevered, we dug in and I’m very happy we won.”
Grand Slam dreams for Richard Vogel
The story coming into Sunday’s feature class at Spruce Meadows surrounded Rolex Grand Slam contender Richard Vogel, who brought uber-stallion United Touch S in his bid to become the first showjumper since Scott Brash at this venue in 2015 to secure the grand prix hat-trick.
The world number one kept his dream alive by jumping one of seven clears from 39 starters in round one. But as 12 were invited through to round two, Nayel Nassar’s one-fault round on ESI Ali and the fastest four four-faulters from round one also lined up for leg two.
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Here, course-designer Leopoldo Palacios tightened the screws further, bringing in the famous double of Liverpools and a tricky double of CPKC oxers under the trees to a wall of planks, all of which caught out the vast majority of the field.
The only two clears second time around came from riders carrying four faults from round one, Ben Maher (Enjeu) and Steve Guerdat riding the athletic chestnut Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte.
German hero Richard Vogel may have considered his Grand Slam hopes dashed when toppling the second of the Liverpools in round two. But as none of his rivals could maintain their clean sheets he found himself back in contention as six competitors completing on four faults were called back for the jump-off.
A fully-loaded jump-off for $5m prize-money
Steve Guerdat's opening clear in increasingly wet conditions set the jump-off standard, but was immediately trumped by Ben, who pulled out all the stops with the Toulon gelding owned by Pamela Wright and Charlotte Rossetter. The in-form duo shaved time through the latter part of the course to finish 0.85sec quicker.
Young Belgian Roy van Beek (Cavoiro H OLD) produced a slower clear, then Calgary-based New Zealand contender Katie Laurie (Django II) added another four faults.
All eyes turned to Richard Vogel with the huge-striding United Touch, but their six-month journey towards the Rolex Grand Slam finally ended with a rail down at the second part of the tricky CPKC double. They received a standing ovation nevertheless from Spruce Meadows’ knowledgeable crowd.
Last to go, USA’s Lillie Keenan gave her all with the aptly named Fasther, but stopped the clock 0.45sec outside Ben’s time. This was enough for 29-year-old Lillie to claim the runner-up spot, with past winner Steve Guerdat finishing third.
A first showjumping Major for Ben Maher
“Enjeu has always loved this arena but I thought his chance had slipped away with the one down [in round one],” said Ben, whose sole error came in the triple combination after Enjeu lost a shoe at the preceding triple bar. “But it came back around and I got a second chance and he did everything for me.
“The time was tight in round one and he’s not the fastest horse so I was determined not to be too slow. That wasn’t a problem, we were flying around. It’s a different type of showjumping here – you have to be more attacking and that’s what the game plan was. If we hit a front rail from moving with extra pace, then that’s the risk you take, but I think it was the right plan,” added Ben, who collected a cheque for $1.5m but struggled to lift the sizeable silverware with his one “good” arm.
The triple Olympic gold medallist now heads to Geneva in December to continue his own Grand Slam journey.
“This is an incredible day,” he said of his first Major success. “I’ve been coming to Spruce Meadows for many years now and I’ve never had too much luck in the grand prix.”
- Read the full report from the Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday 17 September.
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.