GOLD!

Ben Maher and Explosion W take individual gold for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympic Games

- ELEANOR JONES

THE phenomenal combination of Ben Maher and Explosion W topped off an incredible fortnight for Britain by winning individual Olympic showjumping gold.

In only the second time a country has retained the individual title – Germany won in 1992 and 1996 – Ben and his superstar 12-year-old ride proved unbeatable in a six-combination jump-off, with Sweden’s Peder Fredricson and All In taking a second consecutive individual Olympic silver and Maikel van der Vleuten and Beauville Z of the Netherlands claiming the bronze.

“It doesn’t seem real,” Ben said. “It’s been a lot of pressure the last couple of weeks. I may be biased but I believe I am on the best horse, he’s incredible and I’m very fortunate to be able to ride him for owners Pamela Wright and Charlotte Rossetter. They’ve kept him for me, for this, and with that comes pressure. People expect things, and there have been little comments here or there that I don’t normally pick up on, but they’ve been sitting at the back of my mind all the time.

“It’s finally happened, so I’m very happy, very relieved and I’m just going to try to enjoy every moment of it now.”

Ben thanked all those to whom he said he owed his success; his vets, farriers, home team and Explosion’s groom Cormac Kenny, but most of all the horse himself.

“I’ve had many good horses in my career, but I won’t ride another one like him again, and that’s a big statement,” he said. “He’s just such an intelligent horse, a fun horse to be around, and he’s a real athlete. He’s not a normal horse.