Ben Maher marked his return to the Horse of the Year Show with a commanding victory in the Dallamires Stables Cup at Birmingham NEC on Friday, 11th October 2024.
Ben (feature image), twice an Olympic team gold medal winner and the individual champion in Tokyo three years ago, guided Ginger-Blue to an impressive success.
Last to go in a six-horse jump-off, a time of 31.50 seconds saw them home by a margin of 2.5 seconds from Joe Stockdale and Ebanking in second, with Sienna Charles and Valkiry de Zance taking third.
Cheered from the rafters following his latest Olympic success, Ben showcased his world-class quality to end the opening day of international competition with the most impressive of wins.
But there was also much to applaud for Joe and the highly-regarded Ebanking, with the horse enhancing its reputation through two faultless clear rounds, while Sienna pushed her rivals hard in a jump-off that oozed quality.
“Ginger-Blue was amazing tonight,” Ben said. “She has been with me a long time now and we know each other very well. She showed how experienced and how quick she is, and I had the pole position to go in.
“Perhaps I went just a little bit too quick at the end – I took a bit of a risk at the second-last fence – but it is hard to judge sometimes on the screens to what it looks life in real life.
“The show this year has fitted the right time in the schedule, and we all like to compete at home if we can.
“Ginger-Blue is an amazing indoor horse, and I have a promising young horse Nighthawk here this week as well. It is an amazing arena, and to go last and win like that was great.”
Elsewhere …
Hollie Gerken Completes the Hat Trick
Hollie Gerken completed a remarkable and historic hat-trick at the Horse of the Year Show by winning the STX-UK Pony Foxhunter Championship.
A day after landing the Leading Pony Showjumper and Pony Newcomers classes, 14-year-old Hollie once again came up trumps.
Not only did she top the podium aboard Ballycarrow Mirahs Sparrow, Hollie also finished fifth on Velini’s Silver Star and sixth with Livewire VI after all three of her contenders featured among a nine-combination jump-off.
Across the two days of dazzling success, it added up to arguably the greatest exhibition of pony riding that HOYS has seen in its illustrious 75-year history.
Even Hollie struggled to take in the magnitude of her achievement, with the Essex-based rider admitting: “I honestly can’t believe it.
“Coming here this week I was just hoping for the best, but all the hard work has paid off.
“She (Ballycarrow Mirahs Sparrow) hasn’t got the biggest stride, but to make the turns on her is so easy, and going in on my last pony knowing that I had won just helped me so much.
“I don’t know how I have done it, to be honest. I would like to say a huge thank you to Paul Kelly and Kerry Grimster for everything they’ve done, and obviously my mum and dad.
“I can’t actually believe it. It can’t really get better than this – I can’t do a better HOYS.”
Hollie was pushed all the way by runner-up Ella Spencer, riding Rouet Rouge, whose time of 32.37 seconds was just 41 hundredths of a second behind the winner, while third place went to Leva Eldridge and Clonbollogne Lad on 32.93.
But she was not to be denied as she accomplished a treble that is likely to stand alone on HOYS’ roll of honour for many years to come.
Image credits 1st Class Images.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.