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Ben Maher misses out on $1,000,000 five-star Grand Prix victory by less than a second to conclude 12 weeks of top-class sport at the Winter Equestrian Festival in The USA
Monday 30 March 2026
Ben Maher just missed out on the biggest prize of the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, USA, and had to settle for second place on Enjeu De Grisien, behind The USA’s Kent Farrington on Greya.
Forty qualified riders, including six of the world’s Top 10 ranked riders, came forward in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 10,000 in the Saturday Night Highlights $1,000,000 5* Rolex US Equestrian Grand Prix, a Rolex Series event and the pinnacle concluding this three-month spectacular series of competitions. Only five cracked the code to Olympic course-designer Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) 1.60m track for an exciting, edge-of-your seats jump-off.
Guilherme Jorge has designed the finale grand prix at Wellington International for 12 consecutive years, saying, “I live in Wellington, so it’s obviously very important for me to have a show like this and to be able to be the course designer at home. I’ve been coming to Wellington since 1999, and year after year, the show is getting better, and we’re getting a higher level of competitors. I think this year is probably the highest level that I have had on the final. It’s very challenging, but it’s a great show and a great grand prix to build.”
But Ben drew the short straw as first to go in the jump-off.
He led the way with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s 12-year-old selle Francais gelding Enjeu De Grisien (Toulon x Andiamo), setting a tough target with smooth, beautifully executed turns, but the door was left open by a slender pinch.
“It’s always hard to go first when you have these guys after [you],” said Ben, currently rated World No. 3. “Kent’s always there, and he’s always fast, but I’m proud of my horse. I’m happy and disappointed at the same time. There’s nothing he can’t do. He was a little slow developing, but the older he gets, the better.”
Ben had a nail-biting wait but survived a challenge from Germany’s reigning European champion Richard Vogel, who beat the time but suffered a heart-breaking rail down at the final fence on Gangster Montdesir.
However, Kent found the edge aboard Greya, storming home to take victory by 0.73 seconds, leaving Ben in the runner-up position.
“The rounds were almost identical, we pretty much matched stride-for-stride, but my horse has a bigger stride than Kent’s. At the second last he [Enjeu] cut in a little to the right and, although I took out a stride the same as Kent, I had to hold him up to do the seven strides. He’s perhaps not quite as economical as Greya, and small margins cost us,” explained Ben.
Ben considers Enjeu is possibly one of his best horses right now.
“I struggled with him as a young horse, but then he won the World Cup in London as a nine-year-old. He was overshadowed by my other horses, but I’ve rested the others recently. He’s jumped three five-star Grands Prix recently and finished second in two of them and he’s turning into one of my best horses and could be in front of the others now; a surprise, but a nice surprise,” added Ben, who will stay across the pond for a further three weeks.
“My horses and owners are here and, although I qualified, I turned down the World Cup Final as it didn’t suit my plans, so I’ll go to Miami then Mexico before returning home. I’m not totally committed to plans yet with Enjeu, but he may go to Mexico City in a few weeks and probably Aachen.”
Leo Lamb claims a world ranking podium place with Las Palmas VG in the final week of Spring MET
Leo Lamb jumped into third in the world ranking Gold 1.50m with Las Palmas VG – a ride he inherited from the late Chris Moyce, in the final week of the Spring MET 2026 Tour III in Oliva Nova, Spain.
Sixty-six competitors contended this Grand Prix qualifier over a 12-fence, 15-effort speed track with Leo and the Don Diego x Sam R 10-year-old finishing 0.74 seconds behind the winner, France’s Michel Robert on Calasto Z.
James Smith scored a double. He claimed a Gold 1.40m aboard Juno Rose 23 as he headed a British top three. Forty-four risers contended this 11-fence speed course with James and the Erdento x Nissan Caretano Z 12-year-old claiming a 1.32 second advantage over Sammi-Jo Coffin in second aboard Cornet of Follyfoot with Sophie Hillier in third on Nice Star B.
James also led the way in a Silver 1.35m speed, outpacing 88 rivals to seize victory by 0.69 seconds on the nine-year-old Malone HBF (Bubalu VDL x Original VDL).
Several Brits clocked up 1.30m wins; Aileen Craig topped a 45-strong Gold 1.30m speed by 0.28 seconds on the Freeman VDL nine-year-old C&N Lockdown, while Lance Whitehouse beat 30 challengers in a Gold 1.30m two-phase with the eight-year-old Big Star daughter Superstar with 0.26 seconds to spare and Rebecca Mason galloped the 14-year-old Vancurtis (Vangelis x William Curtis) to the top of the concluding Gold 1.30m speed by 0.96 seconds. Sammie-Jo Coffin bettered 63 fellow competitors by 0.17 seconds in a Silver 1.30m riding the eight-year-old mare Big Star of Follyfoot Z (Big Star x Diamant De Semilly).
Chris Smith leads the way in Lier
Chris Smith led the way of a British top three finish in a 2* 1.40m at a hugely popular event at Azelhof Jumping in Lier, Belgium, where several classes had to be split due to entries topping well over 100.
A total of 99 participated in this section of the 2* 1.40m speed, Chris outpacing all by 0.84 seconds on the 11-year-old mare Messarado Blue (Messenger x Indorado) bred by his wife Nicola and father-in-law Jim Barry. Sophie Evans guided CSIO Bel into second and Charlotte Ash filled third aboard Irma-Riende.
Chris also jumped to the top in a 33-horse Six-year-old speed with Chickatina JL Z (Colorit Z x Grandorado TN), claiming 0.94 seconds to spare.
Jasmin Clark scored a 2* 1.35m victory double with the 10-year-old NPS Java (Action Blue x Calvados), topping the first 58-strong two-phase with 0.35 seconds over Charlotte and Air Sandulay, and beating 43 others in the second two-phase by 0.67 seconds. Charlotte claimed a 62-strong 2* 1.35m speed win in her own right with the nine-year-old Air Sandulay, edging ahead by 0.22 seconds, and Jasmin Head topped an 88-entry 1* 1.30m speed by almost two seconds aboard the 18-year-old Montender daughter Ma Cherie Z.
Elsewhere in Europe…….
Emily Ward finished second in a competitive 2* Grand Prix in Cluny, France, with Wild Star HF.
Time proved a factor in the 2* Grand Prix as nine of the original 67 starters left all the fences intact but collected time faults, leaving 11 to contend the jump-off. Emily was the sole British contender and provided another flawless round to ease the Big Star x Oklund 10-year-old just 0.38 seconds off the winning time.
Chad Fellows topped the initial 58-strong 2* 1.40m speed with Creevyquinn Pearl, the 12-year-old Cardento 933 daughter winning by 1.63 seconds. He had to settle for second in the final day’s 83-entry 2* 1.40m speed as the 12-year-old Pesgo Adelheid Z finished 0.43 seconds off the pace.
Sandy McLean picked up a win on the Toscana Tour in Arezzo, Italy, heading a Gold 1.40m two-phase, beating 67 rivals by 0.98 seconds on the 11-year-old Kolman VDP (Harley x Vegas VDL).
Image: Sportfot
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