Ben Maher is the winner of ‘Saturday Night Lights’
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ON THE AIR
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WELLINGTON — Reigning Olympic gold medalist Ben Maher won the first grand prix of the year at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
The No. 2 world-ranked British show jumper and Enjeu de Grisien won the “Saturday Night Lights” $140,000 Southern Arches CSI3 Grand Prix.
Maher, coming off a serious shoulder injury, won with double-clear rounds and fastest jump-off round of 36.87 seconds and pocketed $46,200. Olympian and No. 9 world-ranked McLain Ward, 48, and First Lady were second in 37.49 ($28,000). American Spencer Smith, 27, and Theodore Mancias were third in 38.31 ($21,000).
The field featured 46 riders, a mixed group of experienced and young riders. For many new horses, the lights proved challenging with a handful of riders forced to retire from the competition.
Maher, a four-time Olympian, suffered a serious fall at last year’s WEF and was sidelined for three months, which Maher called “an unscheduled holiday.” Three weeks after shoulder surgery, he was back in the gym working with a physical therapist and schooling horses.
Maher and the 9-year-old Selle Francais gelding are coming off an FEI World Cup Grand Prix victory in London.
“It’s great every Saturday night here,” Maher said. “It’s a good atmosphere and you have some of the best riders in the world, which gives top sport.”
Maher and Enjeu de Grisien have been together for two years.
“It was a difficult course,” Maher said. “The time allowed is always a factor here but my horse is doing very well and I was very happy.”
Maher hopes to take up where he left off last season at WEF before his accident. He and his Rio Olympic mount, Tic Tac, won a CSI3 1.45-meter speed class during the second week of the series and were also third in a CSI3* 1.50-meter. He also won a CSI4 1.55-meter grand prix with Dallas Vegas Batilly.
“At the moment, I actually have a group of horses that are all ready to go like this,” Maher said. “It’s the best team of horses I’ve ever had here. I’m very fortunate that I have multiple horses at the moment that can do this, so I’m just going to be careful, selective, not over jump them and make sure that we can have the best WEF possible without using the horses too much for the rest of the season.”
Two-time Olympian Laura Kraut of Royal Palm Beach escaped serious injury Saturday night when she was knocked off her horse. The 58-year-old shook it off and walked out of the arena.
Aussie Thaisa Erwin, 43, was presented with the Martha Jolicoeur Leading International Rider Award. She finished seventh in the first round and fourth in the jump-off with double clears and pocketed $14,000. Winning groom and Enjeu de Grisien’s caretaker, Derren Lake, was honored with the $500 Grooms Award, presented by Double H Farm’s Caitlin Creel.
WEF continues through March 31. This week’s highlight is the Saturday Night Lights’ $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix at 7 p.m.
General admission is free. Parking is $20 per car. The venue is located at 3400 Equestrian Club Drive, just off South Shore and Pierson Road. For information, call 561-793-5867.