Ben Maher Crowned As Olympia 2012 Horse Show's Leading Rider
Sunday 23 December 2012
Germany’s Marcus Ehning gave a masterclass in riding and brought Olympia, The London International Horse Show, to a stirring finish with a brilliant win in the Grand Prix.
Marcus, who has won most of show jumping’s most glittering prizes, captured the Olympia Grand Prix back in 2004 on Sandro Boy. This time, he was riding that horse’s offspring, the 13-year-old bay mare Sabrina 327.
“She was second in the World Cup qualifier at Olympia last year as well, so I am very proud of her,” said Marcus. “I won the grand prix a few years ago with the father, so this is something special.”
Unusually, this was Marcus’s first win of the week at Olympia, but he said: “I knew that if I could get her into the jump-off, I would have a chance.”
Nine horses made it through to the jump-off of the €80,000 Olympia Grand Prix, traditional finale of the show. Marcus and Sabrina were sixth to go and easily the fastest of the clear rounds.
Edwina Tops-Alexander, recent winner of the Rolex World Cup qualifier in Geneva, finished second on Ego van Orti – she was nearly three seconds slower than Marcus. Young Swiss rider Janika Sprunger, who has been there or thereabouts all week, was third on Uptown Boy, and Michael Whitaker, fifth on Viking, was best British rider.
Olympia’s continental visitors were clearly determined to keep the prizes out of British hands. Earlier in the day, the charming Frenchman Roger Yves Bost, paying his first visit to Olympia for 17 years and known for his brilliance in speed contests, set an unbeatable target in the Shelley Ashman International Ltd EM Rogers (Transport) Ltd Snowman Stakes, an accumulator class.
Riders gathered points for clearing fences, with double points for the joker – an airy upright facing towards the exit – and Roger was the fastest of those riders who gained the maximum 44 points.
Riding the stallion Castle Forbes Vivaldo van het, Roger explained that this horse shines in novelty classes that involve galloping stretches. “He has won a lot of classes like this, rather than the ones that involve tight turns. He’s very scopey and fast and when I can gallop him like that, he is marvellous to ride.”
Young Emily Ward’s exceptional visit to Olympia continued when the 13-year-old added the JJ Jumping Junior Stakes to her victory in the Team Murka and World Class Programme Under-23 Championship on Friday.
Last year’s winner, Jessica Mendoza (Tixylix), looked to have set an unbeatable target as first to go in the eight-pony jump off, but the talented Emily was always going to be a threat as the last to go riding the athletic King Mac.
“He is only seven years old, but the way he gallops and turns would make you think he’s much older and more experienced,” said Emily. “He is very sharp and with the crowd raising the roof as they have been this week, I just need to make sure we were both able to handle the pressure!”
If these riders look to have the future of British show jumping in good hands, their senior counterpart, Ben Maher, also gave the packed houses plenty to cheer about when he easily retained his crown as H & M Leading Rider of Show. To recap, this was thanks to his four splendid victories, including the Alltech Puissance and Christmas Masters.
Olympia is also a special occasion for the British Show Pony Society with the Heritage Mountain & Moorland Ridden Championships.
Supreme champion was the Welsh Section B pony Bronheulog Harvey, ridden by Sophie Manners. Harvey has had a terrific year, winning the qualifier at Pembroke County plus a novice working hunter pony class at the BSPS Summer Championships and was placed at the Royal International Horse Show.
Another Section B took the runner-up spot, Kathleen Scott’s Cadlanvalley Sandpiper, and the Stevens’s Dales stallion Waterside Black Prince, last year’s reserve champion, took third place.
It is 40 years ago that the late great Raymond Brooks-Ward started the London International Horse Show in its present home at Olympia. This week’s version, run by his son Simon, and with his other two sons, James and Nick, also heavily involved, would surely have made him proud: sell-out audiences, absorbing displays and thrilling, high-class jumping.
John Roche, director of jumping at the FEI, described Olympia as “a jewel in the crown” of the international circuit. Olympia 2012 seems sure to go down as a vintage year.
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