Professional Care Horsemanship
Trainer of Young Horses: Training Should Never Be an Assault
Malgré Tout PR
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In all sports, you encounter stars who achieve instant success and are among the best from the very beginning of their careers. Then there are those who gradually attain significant results, and without one even realizing it, they have proven themselves to be among the elite for a longer period than expected. The English showjumper Ben Maher belongs more to the latter category than the former.
Ben Maher's journey into the world of showjumping began at the age of 8, and as he honed his skills, the dream of becoming a professional equestrian grew stronger. As a teenager, he made pursuing a riding career his top priority and relocated to Switzerland after completing his schooling to further develop his skills as a rider. He emerged as one of his home country's greatest equestrian talents, earning a spot on the British Young Riders European Championship team in 2004, where he clinched gold medals despite having the lowest score on his team. This marked the beginning of a remarkable career.
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Ben Maher's journey in showjumping took an exciting turn following his success at the Young Riders European Championship. In the year following his European triumph, Maher entered the prestigious British Jumping Derby, also known as the Hickstead Derby. At the age of just 22, he secured the first place riding Alfredo II. However, this victory did not immediately catapult his career to the heights he had hoped for, and the subsequent three years saw his career progress at a relatively slow pace.
In 2008, Maher came dangerously close to ending his riding career as he grappled with the uncertainty of becoming a full-time professional athlete. He had taken on a job and reduced his riding commitments as the Beijing Olympics approached. However, he had a change of heart with the goal of giving his riding career one last shot and aiming for a spot on the Olympic team. His determination paid off, and with his mare Rolette, he secured an individual 19th place while the British team finished in 5th place at the Beijing Olympics. After this milestone event, there would be no more doubts about Ben Maher's place in the professional equestrian world.
Since Beijing, Maher has represented Great Britain at the Olympics three more times and participated in the European Championships six times, the Nations Cup Final twice, and the World Championships once. Four years after Beijing, the Olympics were held in London, and on home soil, the British team was unstoppable. For only the second time ever and the first time in 60 years, Great Britain secured gold in the team competition. Individually, Maher also performed admirably, finishing in ninth place. This excellent form continued for Maher and the rest of the British team the following year when the European Championships took place in Herning. They clinched gold in the team event, while Maher himself won silver in the individual competition, solidifying his place among the equestrian elite.
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After eight years without international gold medals, Maher competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which had been postponed by a year due to COVID-19. This delay possibly worked in Maher's favor as he had undergone back surgery the year before and might not have been ready if the event had been held as originally planned. He traveled to Tokyo with Explosion W, the gelding with whom he had won an individual silver medal two years earlier at the European Championships in Rotterdam. In Tokyo, Maher achieved what only one British showjumper had done before him: winning a gold medal in the individual competition. He delivered a flawless performance in the decisive round, and with a time 0.2 seconds faster than Sweden's Peder Fredericson, who finished in second place, he secured the prestigious victory. Maher withdrew from the team competition to conserve Explosion's energy, as it became evident from the other results that their team would not contend for any medals.
Ben Maher's career, which still holds promise for many more years, has been marked by numerous significant achievements, firmly establishing him as one of the finest showjumpers of our time. His successes have come aboard various horses since he does not own the horses he rides, meaning he has no control over whether they are sold to other riders. Maher's ability to consistently build successful partnerships with different horses has been crucial to his success. In hindsight, it is clear that he made the right decision when he had a change of heart about ending his sports career.
