Disappointment for Ben Maher in World Championships final after a brilliant week
The individual final did not go Ben Maher’s way at the World Championships
Ben Maher and Point Break had a heartbreaking stop in the first round of today’s individual final at the showjumping World Championships.
Having done so much to secure the team bronze medal on Friday night (21 August), Ben and the star stallion owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright were in the bronze-medal preposition individually this morning, having not touched a fence all week.
They were absolutely flying this afternoon, the little stallion looking on top form, but somehow Point Break stopped at the wavy planks. They cleared it on the second attempt, and everything else, but the stop and time-faults put them down to 17th place, on 11.01 penalties.
“It was just a small mistake, not good enough at this level,” Ben said.
“He was jumping well, made a big effort in the triple combination, and just away from the gate, the triple bar was big for him.
“He jumped it well but I had to react fast to correct where I landed on the water, which was good riding. But then I probably paid for it afterwards.”
Ben Maher on his final World Championships round
Ben said the 12-year-old stallion got a bit unsettled, Ben tried to settle him but he took his eye to the right, just before that plank.
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“That’s what I felt, and I just looked at the video and it was just enough to distract him, and he took his eye off the jump for a very, very split second, and didn’t pick up,” Ben said.
“So I’m disappointed, but overall he jumped well, and I just expected more from today.”
Germany’s Sophie Hinners, who had helped secure team gold for Germany having jumped clear every day, had her first fence of the week with Iron Dames Singclair in the first round today; it was the very last rail that fell. She was in seventh place going into the final round, then two rails and a time-fault dropped them down the order.
“It was a bit unlucky in the end,” Sophie said. “He jumped unbelievable again. I think the difficult parts he jumped so easily; the first round it was a pity on the last, but the second round he started great, had an unlucky rail at the beginning.
“Then I was a bit far off on the oxer but the second part of the course he jumped unbelievable to the end. So I’m really, really proud of him.
“Of course, a double clear would have been nicer today, but still, I think to finish in the top 10 in his first championships, my first World Championships, I think we can be really proud of that. Of course, the [team] gold medal was absolutely the most amazing. So I think we can go home with a very good feeling and be very proud.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.