Ben Maher took the prestigious Alianz Prize competition in Aachen this weekend (6 July) with a 15-year-old who is a “full dressage horse”.
Ben and Exit Remo, whom he owns with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright, triumphed by half a second over Germany’s Richard Vogel (Cydello), in a masterclass of controlled speed.
Ben also won the opening round of the Sparkassen Youngsters Cup, and was just pipped by Richard on Levi Noesar in the final, on seven-year-old Corlander, who at seven has already come second in a 1.50m national grand prix in the US.
“My horses have been on good form this week,” said Ben. “Everybody is jumping well; I’ve got my owners and my family here and have been trying to do my best to get a win on the board but every class is difficult to win here.”
Ben was especially pleased to land a win with Exit Remo. whom he has been riding since September 2022.
“He’s sometimes a bit in the shadow of my other horses, but this is a big win for him,” he said. “I’m very happy for him; he’s an amazing horse and it’s nice for him to get some limelight.”
Exit Remo boats breeding more commonly seen within the white boards; he is by the dressage stallion San Remo and out of a mare by Ferro, the grandsire of Valegro and Uthopia.
“He’s a full dressage horse, or so I’ve been told!” said Ben. “I’m not sure of his original history, whether he was, and switched to jumping, but he’s a good mover. I’m not sure if we went to the other side of the street, we’d be winning but it makes him a bit more of a character; he’s got high head carriage and you can see similarities.”
“Every time you ride into the ring in Aachen for a class like this, it just as important as riding into a grand prix anywhere else,” he added. “For me, my owners, my family, so it was fantastic.”
Ben is also very positive about the future of Corlander, whom he owns with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright, and has been riding since November.
“He is a very talented, balanced horse; he doesn’t have to jump too much,” he said. “He has a huge range with his scope and stride. Hopefully, we have found the next star. I hope we can live up to that.”
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