Ben Maher scores a win at Wellington International with Ginger-Blue
Monday 13 April 2026
Ben Maher extended his stay in The USA following the Winter Equestrian Festival tour and scored a three-star victory with Jane Forbes Clark’s Ginger-Blue in the five-week Spring series at Wellington International.
Forty-nine competitors came forward in the $62,000 3* Zycosan Grand Prix qualifier in the Equestrian Village Derby field with 18 answering every question from Canadian course-designer Meghan Rawlins to qualify for the jump-off.
Ben had the win sewn up with a series of tight turns and making the use of Ginger-Blue’s big stride, flying into the winner’s enclosure with a little under half a second to hand.
“She’s in incredible form and in great condition this time of year. She’s won a lot of classes already this year and has had a few weeks off recently,” said Ben of the Plot Blue x Royal Bravour 15-year-old mare who has a winning record on the derby field at Equestrian Village.
“She’s amazing: fast, intelligent and makes my life a lot easier. She’s always loved the grass here, so we decided to bring her out today. I have to be careful with her as she has a big stride, but it’s good not to force it—I set off on the first line and got the distance that I wanted, which was one less than some people did. I was pretty short to the second last jump, which was a little risky, and I think that’s probably where I was quick enough to win.”
Sameh El Dahan lands a three-star win in Gorla Minore
Sameh El Dahan scored a handsome world ranking win in the 3* 1.50m in Gorla Minor, Italy, with Joanne Sloan Allen’s home-bred WKD Balou Breeze.
Forty-four competitors contended the 3* 1.50m two-phase but no-one could match Sameh’s speed and skill on the course, and he eased the Balou Du Rouet x Cavalier Royale 12-year-old WKD Balou Breeze into a 1.57 second victory.
Guy Williams scores a victory double in Spain
Guy Williams clocked up a victory double on the Spring Mediterranean Equestrian Tour IV in Oliva Nova, Spain, with BH Gringos Legacy.
Guy led a British top four in the feature 2* Grand Prix to finish the final day of Week 1 on a high. Thirty-nine riders tackled a 13-fence, 16-effort 1.45m track but only five came up with all the answers to advance to the jump-off.
Guy, who had already fired a warning shot 48 hours earlier on the 11-year-old BH Gringos Legacy with a 0.29 second victory in the 39-strong Gold 1.45m speed, gave everything in his usual customary style to bring the Tullibards Bennys Legacy x Colourfield mare into a 1.71 second win. Alex Barr was the closest rival on Preben Van De Doornakkers for second ahead of Carron Nicol in third on RRH Out Of The Blue with her son Leo in fourth aboard Las Palmas VG.
James Smith touted a hat-trick of wins. Jim Wilmer’s 14-year-old Tayvale Hunky Dory (Balou Du Rouet x Master Imp) topped the Gold 1.45m speed with 0.64 seconds in hand for James, beating 17 rivals to the top spot, relegating Anna Power and McQueen to second. James guided the 12-year-old Erdento daughter Juno Rose 23 into a 2* 1.35m speed win with 1.27 seconds to spare, and the 13-year-old Jazmin (Odermus x Dallart) topped a 49-strong Gold 1.30m speed by 2.81 seconds.
Anna Power jumped to the top of a Gold 1.40m speed with only 0.16 seconds in hand on Bina Ford’s Emerald 12-year-old Oxford VD Witte Driesendijk and finished second twice with the eight-year-old Calgary PH Z (Comme Il Faut 5 x Caretano Z), first in a Silver 1.40m speed 0.15 seconds in arrears and again had to settle for the runner-up position in the seven-horse decider of the Silver Grand Prix 0.89 seconds off the pace.
Aileen Craig outpaced 41 rivals in a Gold 1.35m speed by 3.52 seconds on the nine-year-old C&N Lockdown, Mark Armstrong headed a Gold 1.30m speed on the eight-year-old Clada Boy beating Guy Williams (Jordan W) by 4.60 seconds, and Ben Bick won an early Six-year-old 1.25m with immediate jump-off by 0.11 seconds on Casanova SIH Z (Colrit x Diamant De Semilly) and finished second in a Six-year-old two-phase only 0.04 seconds off the pace.
Millie Allen is a winner in Compiegne
Millie Allen stormed to victory in the 3* 1.45m at Compiegne in France, with the aptly-named Quick Diamant HR.
A big entry of 92 contended this competitive speed class, but Millie found the edge and guided the 10-year-old Diamant De Semilly x Quidam De Revel mare into a 0.26 second win.
Millie picked up places in the 3* 1.40m classes on the Grand Slam VDL 10-year-old Lanceola Eickenrode with second in a 77-strong two-phase and third in the 57-horse speed 24 hours later.
Georgia Tame scored a 70-entry 3* 1.40m speed win riding the eight-year-old Lucky Chance Z (Casall x Indoctro) with 0.82 seconds to spare and Tallulah McKenzie Smith claimed a 1* 1.35m victory in a 16-horse decider by 0.64 seconds on the 15-year-old Non Stop daughter Nistria V/D Winning Z.
Image: Sportfot
.JPG "NAF Extend Support of British Showjumping’s Silver and Bronze Leagues for a Further Three Years")
