MAHER MAGIC ON PRANCING HORSE
Ben rides ‘Ferrari’ to gold:
AT 13-YEARS-OLD, Sky Brown became Britain’s youngest Olympic medallist with a stunningly mature display to win skateboarding bronze in Tokyo. Watched by her father Stu at the Ariake Urban Park yesterday, Brown bounced back from two falls in the final to nail her routine and take the last step on the podium. “I’m so stoked, I can’t believe it,” she said afterwards. “It’s unbelievable, super sick, like a dream.” Team GB also won two more golds – in the sailing and show jumping – on a day of more glory, with further silver and bronze medals coming in the boxing. But there was disappointment for heptathlon star Katarina Johnson-Thompson, whose bid for gold ended in tears after she pulled up in the 200m and was forced to withdraw with a calf injury.
BEN MAHER gets married in a fortnight – and his horse Explosion W earned a late invite to the wedding by carrying the groom to Olympic gold.
In a dazzling jump-off at the Tokyo Equestrian Centre, Maher won by 0.17 seconds, barely a nosebag on a clear round, to earn Team GB their fifth equestrian medal of the Games and equal their record haul in London nine years ago.
Explosion W cleared the fences with the urgency of a steed determined to get Maher to the church on time when he marries fiancee Sophie in Hertfordshire later this month.
Just 17 hundredths of a second! That’s a groom with a phew.
But Maher, 38, says his horse will be there when the happy couple exchange vows after following Nick Skelton’s gold medal aboard Big Star in Rio five years ago with a memorable sequel.
He said: “Explosion? He’ll be there – 50 metres away, but it’s at the stables so he’ll be there. I haven’t had much involvement in the wedding plans at all, to be honest. I managed to get an hour out to go and get my suit, so that’s sorted.
“And I did half a day with Sophie to try to be a bit involved. She’s from America, so they have a rehearsal dinner the night before. I took that on as my bit.
“I finalised everything yesterday, actually. It’s been a nice distraction – there’s been a lot of waiting around in the hotel so it was nice to take my mind off some things.
“We’re having a small wedding at home, with close friends and family, and it did cross my mind that it will be a very good party if something went right this week. We can look forward to that now.”
Maher was part of the British quartet, along with Skelton, Scott Brash and Peter Charles, who won team gold at London 2012 and the Greenwich Tavern, near the equestrian venue, changed its name to the Gold & Saddle as a tribute to their success.
He said: “I’ll go back to the pub when I get back home. It will probably be a little more sedate this evening, we still have work to do this week. But I will enjoy this, call home and try to have a fun day tomorrow.” Enfield-born Maher likened Explosion W’s power to driving a Ferrari following victory in the Rolex Grand Prix at Royal Windsor last month, saying: “I’ve never driven one, but I imagine riding Explosion is what it feels like.”