Olympic champion Ben Maher has returned to the saddle seven weeks after he sustained a shoulder injury in a fall.
Ben was in Florida competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival at Wellington International, Florida, when he was sidelined last month.
“Due to a bad fall last week, I will be taking an unscheduled holiday,” said the Tokyo individual gold medallist on 9 February, as he thanked everyone for their “kind messages”.
Ben underwent surgery for a shoulder injury and three weeks ago he shared a video showing him training in a gym and working with a physio.
“Great to be back in the gym after my shoulder surgery. I’ve started my rehab programme and hope to be back soon,” he said.
Yesterday (30 March) Ben shared a video showing him not only working out on foot but also back in the saddle, schooling two horses.
“A big thank you to the medical and physio team,” he said.
“It’s week seven and I’ve been upping the gym work and back working the horses.”
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Ben had been enjoying a successful start to 2023 at the Winter Equestrian Festival before his time in the 11-week series was cut short owing to his accident. He and his Rio Olympic ride, Tic Tac, won a CSI3* 1.45m speed class during the second week of the series, on 19 January, and the pair were also third in a CSI3* 1.50m. Ben had said the 20-year-old stallion, who is permanently based in Florida, “still feels like he wants to do nothing else”.
Ben also won a CSI4* 1.55m grand prix with his new ride, 10-year-old Selle Francais mare Dallas Vegas Batilly, at the end of January. The pair were the quickest in a 14-horse jump-off, where they fought off competition from Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and Namaste Van Het Ecykeveld, who were second and the USA’s Kent Farrington who was third with Toulayna.
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