Ben Maher is the BSJA’s best

Ben Maher, 22, who won last month’s DFS Derby and British Speed Derby at Hickstead, has been named as the BSJA’s Show Jumper of the Month. He was presented with this latest accolade at the 2005 Scope/BSJA Festival of Show Jumping in Stafford recently.

The BSJA judging panel identified Maher as the best performer within show jumping during August following his double victory at Hickstead, where he set one of the fastest times in the British Speed Derby and became youngest rider in 25 years to land the Derby itself.

Receiving his award from BSJA chief executive, Jacky Wood, Maher said: “August was a great month for me. All the horses were on good form and I was thrilled with their performances at Hickstead. To win the Derby was fantastic and to be given this award has topped off what has been a great month — it’s nice to know that people recognise when you have done well.”

Maher caught the public’s eye last year when he won a gold medal at the Young Rider European Championships, before going on to finish third in the 2004 DFS Derby at Hickstead.

Since then he has defeated Puissance expert John Whitaker to take the Aon Puissance at last year’s Horse of the Year Show aboard Eperlaan De Fouquet and was part of the second placed British team at the Lisbon Nations Cup competition earlier this year with Alfredo II.

• Read an exclusive interview with this talented young rider in tomorrow’s Horse & Hound (8 September, ’05)

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