‘A 10 out of 10’: Ben Maher on his super stallion’s opening round at the showjumping World Championships – but work to be done in team standings
Ben Maher was first out for the Brits today in the first team qualifier in Aachen
Ben Maher got Britain off to a solid start in the team and individual qualifier on the first day of the showjumping World Championships.
Ben and Point Break were first up for the team and the fifth of 145 starters to contest course-designer Frank Rothenberger’s tricky track.
Ben and the 12-year-old stallion started as they meant to go on, with a strong angle to the first fence, a big vertical. They got a little close to the first double, fence 3ab, and took a bold tight turn to the wavy planks at fence 4, but this paid off when they stopped the clock almost two seconds quicker than Germany’s Marcus Ehning and Coolio 42. Marcus had the unenviable task of being drawn first of the day.
Ben was thrilled with Point Break.
“For him that was a 10 out of 10. I don’t say that very often,” said Ben.
“We can always do things better, but it was very important for me this week to get a rolling start with him to put us in a good start for the team today, but also so he’s really confident for when the jumps get bigger and wider later on in the week.
“A key factor with him is that he’s relaxed, very still with his head and taking a great stride. That happened today, allowing me to put him exactly where I wanted to be.”
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Ben is used to going out first on team occasions and delivering under pressure.
“I do always go out first for the team. I switched for Hickstead, just given it was a different team and I had more experience that time,” he explained.
“Sometimes at the championships we switch around a bit the first day, but Point Break is a bit of a unique horse in that I can only do what I can do. If I sit here watching 40 or 100 horses go, I start trying to do something I can’t to get ahead. He needs the slightly firmer ground, and my plan didn’t change.”
Ben likened Point Break’s athleticism to “a rubber ball”.
“That gives good and bad points to his jump; sometimes he can throw a very elastic jump and land further or shorter away and I still don't always know exactly where we end up,” said Ben.
“Today I was planning 10 strides to the wall (fence 7), and he was travelling so relaxed that I managed to do one less and take nine. That’s all Scott (Brash) kept telling me before we went in, have a plan, but have a plan B or C. Fortunately everything went to plan A.”
Ben said it was a nice first course for the horses.
“It’s difficult for course builders here with this many horses,” he said. “It’s very fair, not too big, but I’m sure it will get progressively difficult as the week goes on.”
Harry Charles: “Freda was amazing”
Harry Charles was next out for the Brits with the relatively new ride, LT Holst Freda. A clear looked to be on the horizon but a risk to the blue oxer at 12a where they turned a little tight, didn’t pay off and the poles fell. In this speed competition, knocked poles add four seconds to the clock, so they finished on a total of 75.83sec.
“I’m very happy, Freda was amazing,” said Harry, who has only been riding the mare for a few months.
“It’s a big atmosphere to step into, our partnership is not super experienced together, but she’s plenty experienced and I have a little bit too. It’s great to get that one out the way.”
Harry Charles has only been riding LT Holst Freda for a few months
Harry said the pole down was “completely my own fault”, having changed his plan before fence 11 that resulted in him taking a stride less as he travelled round to the oxer at 12a.
“I would have loved to be clear, so I'm a little bit disappointed in myself, but on the whole, I’m very happy,” he said.
“Everything was just coming so nice, and I decided my plan was to go six down that second-to-last line. But just before take off on the oxer (fence 11), I thought I'll do five, and she got the five easy. Then I just probably turned in a stride less than I should have.
“She just has so much scope. On a normal horse, you come around to that oxer (fence 12a) and your natural instinct is to put a bit of leg on, and I did, and just maybe rode her through the front rail a bit. She nicked it behind. I should have just sat quiet and let her do the work.”
Harry has had to get to know Freda quickly during their short time together.
“I've never had a horse get to know me, or me get to know one so well, so quickly, and have straight out of the box success. It’s a pretty new feeling,” said Harry.
“The aim was always to come here with Los Angeles qualification in mind, so just to be part of the team really was the main focus. Then I started to get to know how special she is, maybe we could do more than just qualify. We have three great riders also on the team here so expectations are high. She’s good enough, and so I have just got to keep going and jump a couple of clears now.”
Adrian Whiteway’s championships debut
Scott Brash was next for the Brits and shot into the lead with Hello Mango during the third session.
Then it was down to anchor combination Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo. The pair, making their championships debut, had a rather steady round, a time of 79.51sec. They had a pole down at fence 9a – the first part of the double over a water tray – to finish on 83.51sec.
Adrian said he was “very happy” with the 13-year-old Chacco Blue stallion.
“I was in a very fortunate position that the guys in front of me have all done amazing, so it took the pressure off me,” he said.
“He's not a fast horse, and we know that. He's more important for tomorrow (Thursday 20 August) and Friday. Today was just about putting in a good performance, showing him the ring, and keeping him happy, ready to go tomorrow.”
Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo are making their championship debut for Britain in Aachen
Adrian was another to blame his blip on himself.
“He has jumped lots of doubles of waters, but it looked pretty spooky to me. I thought ‘Oh’, and maybe I just put a little bit too much leg on and he just touched the front rail,” explained Adrian.
“It’s really unlucky, but hopefully it’ll set me up in good stead for tomorrow.”
Adrian is making championship debut here in Aachen, having been a key part of recent Nations Cup teams.
“There was a little mutter last year after competing here at the Nations Cup that if everything went well it could happen,” he said.
“It still felt a long way away, but he’s been consistent all year from double clear to double clear. It was a dream come true to get the call up.”
Adrian has had the ride on Chacco Volo since a four-year-old.
“We’ve done everything together, so that makes it a little bit more special. I know him inside out,” he said.
“He always tries for me. Touch wood, if I ride him well, he goes well – so the pressure is always on me, not him really. I don’t want to let him down.”
Each rider’s score from today is converted via a coefficient into points. Two rounds of team jumping then follow, with the top 10 teams from Thursday’s (19 August) competition progressing to Friday’s (21 August) medal-deciding final. The top 60 individual riders also compete.
At the end of the opening day, Great Britain is in fourth with a score of 4.98.
World Showjumping Championships: day one results
Top five team standings:
- Germany 3.48
- Belgium 3.69
- USA 4.85
- Great Britain 4.98
- France 4.99
The top five individual standings:
- Julien Epaillard (FRA) and Fringan De Vesquerie 0
- Harrie Smolders (NED) and Mr Tac of the Netherlands 0.68
- Scott Brash (GBR) and Hello Mango 0.80
- Sophie Hinners (GER) and Iron Dames Singlair 0.84
- Steve Guerdat (SUI) and Dynamix De Belheme 0.86
Ben Maher and Point Break are currently eighth on 1.01. Harry Charles and LT Holst Freda are 44th on 3.17 and Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo are lying 87th on 6.46.
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Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.