Ben Maher and Faltic HB finish fourth in the FEI Jumping European Championship Individual Final in Milan
Sunday 03 September 2023
It wasn’t to be. One solitary pole cost Ben Maher the Silver Individual medal at the FEI Jumping European Championships in Milan, Italy. He finished just outside the medals in fourth place with Faltic HB, the same position the pair took at the World Championships 12 months ago.
“I’m disappointed, this is the second time in a row Faltic has finished fourth individually, the World Championships last year and now the European Championships today, but he jumped incredible all week,” said Ben.
Twenty-four competitors came forward for round one of the individual final with Ben and Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s 13-year-old stallion Faltic HB standing in fifth place on 3.13 penalty points, less than a fence between the top five. It was all to play for. The 24 riders faced course-designer Uliano Vezzani’s 12-fence 1.60m track and five posted initial clear rounds.
Unfortunately, Ben wasn’t one of them. The lightest of rubs on the back rail of the oxer going into the combination toppled the pole along with medal hopes. It dropped the pair down to eighth place as they headed into round two, but they fought hard second time out.
Only 11 of a possible 12 returned for round two, this time over a 10-fence course, British-based Michael Duffy riding for Ireland opting to withdraw Cinca 3 after clocking up eight faults in round one and saved the 14-year-old mare for another day.
Going in reverse order of merit, fences fell for the lower placed competitors and it was left to Ben to produce the first clear, making it look easy as Faltic soared over each fence despite the enormous pressure. It piled the pressure on the final seven riders and, for a few moments, it seemed dreams – and a miracle – could come true. But the final three all provided immaculate double clears. Last to go, Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat on Dynamix De Belheme held his nerve deservedly taking the gold medal on only 0.43 penalty points. The pressure was enormous, one fence down would drop him to silver and two fences would have put Steve into sixth.
Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt secured the silver medal on the 9-year-old Zineday – a horse on everyone’s wishlist, by Zinedine with Polydor on the dam side and both competed by Ludger Beerbaum at 1.60m level. Flying Frenchman Julien Epaillard claimed bronze only 0.30 penalties behind with the Baloubet Du Rouet 10-year-old Dubai De Cedre.
A clearly disappointed Ben reflected on the week.
“It was an expensive fence down in the first round today and maybe, if I went back, I’d do something a little different, but it felt good. Just unfortunate, but that’s the way it goes,” he said. “I don’t want to blame other things, but the fence down on the first day [in a late draw] definitely wasn’t helped by the ground situation. He’s jumped incredible since then.
“I knew I’d have to probably to jump double clear to get a medal today. The team was a long haul this week and I was out on my own today, and yes, it [the rail down] was expensive. But he’s fit, jumped incredible and it didn’t feel like it took a lot out of him like other championships, so I’m happy to go home safe. I’m disappointed I didn’t get something in the end, but we did our best.”
Performance Manager Di Lampard assessed: “To be drawn at the end of the Table C [Speed] class, that fence [down] on that ground was really expensive for Ben. But going forward, they are an amazing partnership, the horse was fresh and I’m looking forward to them moving on.”
Image: VLV Media
