Great Britain’s Ben Maher through to jump-off for the Olympic showjumping individual medal decider
A total of six riders have made the jump-off for the Olympic showjumping individual final which will decide the medals at the Tokyo Games, including Great Britain’s star rider Ben Maher with the brilliant Explosion W.
Jumping last of the 30 riders in Wednesday’s final, 38-year-old Ben and the powerful 12-year-old chestnut gelding, owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright, cruised to a spectacular, and vital, clear.
Joining Ben in the jump-off are all three representatives from Sweden – Henrik von Eckermann on King Edward, Malin Baryard-Johnsson with Indiana and Peder Fredricson riding All In, the combination who won silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics behind Great Britain’s Nick Skelton.
Home nation Japan is represented thanks to a brilliant clear from Daisuke Fukushima (Chanyon), while Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville make it six who will ride against the clock, determining who is awarded the gold, silver and bronze medals for the Olympic showjumping individual competition.
There were plenty of shock results during the evening as the pressure mounted and Santiago Varela’s Olympic showjumping individual final course provided a stern test.
Great Britain’s first rider Harry Charles retired after the faults accumulated with Romeo 88 and and agonisingly for Scott Brash and Jefferson, the pair crossed the line without any jumping faults but looking up at the clock revealed that the 2012 Olympic team gold medallist had exceeded the time allowed of 88 seconds and would be barred from the jump-off with just one time-penalty.
For Ireland, Cian O’Connor was another rider to succumb to the time, finishing with just one penalty, while Bertram Allen and Pacino Amiro and Darragh Kenny both came home on eight with Cartello.
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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.