Ben Maher helped Great Britain to a fifth equestrian medal of the Tokyo Olympics equalling the record haul at the London 2012 Games; Maher won by 17 hundredths of a second, delivering a memorable jump-off round to take the Olympic crown
Wednesday 4 August 2021 17:00, UK
Ben Maher has won the gold medal for Great Britain in the showjumping individual final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Maher produced a dazzling display under the floodlights to give Team GB its second successive Olympic showjumping champion following Nick Skelton's success with Big Star in Rio five years ago.
The 38-year-old helped Britain to London 2012 team gold alongside Skelton, Scott Brash and Peter Charles, and he added individual title glory after living up to his tag as pre-Games favourite.
Thirty combinations contested the final, with six going through to a jump-off before Maher triumphed from silver medallist Peder Fredricson, of Sweden, and Holland's Maikel van der Vleuten in bronze.
Maher's victory gave the Great Britain equestrian team a fifth Olympic medal in Tokyo, equalling their record haul achieved in London.
His win followed gold for the eventing team and Tom McEwen's individual eventing silver, plus team dressage bronze and Charlotte Dujardin's individual dressage bronze.
Maher won by 17 hundredths of a second, delivering a memorable jump-off round to take the Olympic title.
Reflecting on his gold medal, Maher said: "It doesn't seem real. I think it will sink in tonight or tomorrow morning, let's just say there has been a lot of pressure in the last couple of weeks.
"I am biased but I believe I am on the best horse, he is an incredible horse.
"To ride him for Pamela Wright and Charlotte Rossetter is amazing, they kept him for me for this and with that comes pressure, people expect and some comments here or there that I don't pick up on sit in the back of my mind and it finally happened.
"I am relieved it is done and I am very happy right now.
"I am not from a showjumping family or background so I have always looked up to other riders since I was a small boy, 10 or 11, watching at home on TV watching Olympia or Hickstead.
"I tried to learn from them and I have so many people to thank, Explosion W is the main one.
"I have vets that have been with me for 10 or 15 years back home, Cormac Kenny his groom. He came with me from Ireland when he was 16 and grew up with me and he has been a huge part of this moment.
"My family, my fiancée [Sophie], we are getting married in two weeks' time.
"I don't know what was more pressure, this or getting married in two weeks but there are so many people who have contributed to make this possible and hopefully we will get home and have a big celebration."
His Team GB colleagues Scott Brash and Harry Charles, though, did not make the jump-off.
It was agony for Brash on Hello Jefferson following an immaculate jumping round, but a one-time fault ended their medal chances.
Charles, meanwhile, had four fences down on Romeo 88 and retired just before the end of his round, but it was a valuable experience for one of British showjumping's most exciting young riders.
Ireland's trio of Cian O'Connor, Bertram Allen and Darragh Kenny also missed out, with O'Connor - like Brash - collecting a solitary time fault.
