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Ben Maher to spearhead parade of Olympic medallists at London Global Champions Tour on Sunday

Ben Maher and Explosion W to appear in parade of Olympic medallists at the Longines Global Champions Tour of London this weekend
Jennifer Donald Jennifer Donald

    • Fresh from his triumphant individual gold medal-winning performance some 10 days ago in the Olympic showjumping at the Tokyo Games, Great Britain’s Ben Maher will parade in front of his home crowd at the London Global Champions Tour on Sunday (15 August).

    The Olympic gold medallist will bring his equine hero, Explosion W, owned by Pamela Wright and Charlotte Rossetter, into the arena where he will be joined by five other Olympic medallists from Tokyo for a very special ceremony.

    Also parading on Sunday are the Olympic individual silver medallist and team gold medallist, Sweden’s Peder Fredricson and his team-mate Henrik von Eckermann, USA’s Olympic team silver medallist Laura Kraut and the Belgium team bronze-medallists Pieter Devos and Gregory Wathelet.

    The ceremony is set to start at 4pm on Sunday and will feature a live question and answer session with Ben as well as a presentation of gifts to all the riders, owners and grooms involved and no doubt all these Olympic heroes will receive a rapturous welcome.

    All six riders are at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for the London leg of the Longines Global Champions Tour which takes place Friday 13 to Sunday 15 August.

    Ben’s 12-year-old chestnut gelding Explosion W will not be competing – he is instead enjoying a well-earned rest after his Tokyo Olympic exertions – but Ben is in action over the weekend on his top mare Ginger-Blue, including lining up for the GCL team London Knights, who will be looking to replicate their previous wins on home soil.

    Ben’s Great Britain team-mates from the Tokyo Olympics Holly Smith, Harry Charles and Scott Brash are also in action during the three-day show. Scott brings two of his top horses, Hello Vincent and Hello Shelby.

    The feature class of the London Global Champions Tour, the Longines GCT grand prix, takes place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on Saturday evening (14 August).

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    Jennifer Donald
    Jennifer Donald

    H&H showjumping editor
    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.
    Jennifer Donald

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