British show jumper Ben Maher overcame a shoulder injury to win the CPKC ‘International’ Grand Prix presented by Rolex at Spruce Meadows. Maher secured the victory aboard Enjeu de Grisien in a six-horse jump-off, edging out Lillie Keenan and world champion Steve Guerdat while denying Richard Vogel a $1.2 million (€1 million) bonus.
The Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ climaxed in a dramatic showdown that tested the physical limits of top riders and horses alike.
Ben Maher Overcomes Injury and Doubt to Claim Spruce Meadows Victory
Maher arrived at the starting ring facing steep physical odds. During Saturday’s Nations Cup class, the 2021 individual gold medalist suffered a hard fall from Catelly that left him with a shoulder injury and restricted mobility, according to Spring Reiter coverage. Debating whether to withdraw under medical advice from his wife, Maher ultimately decided to compete.
Ben Maher, show jumper, noted that it had been a very long night and that he had come very close to not riding.
Despite visibly favoring his right arm in the opening round, Maher guided the 12-year-old French gelding Enjeu de Grisien—bred by Toulon—through a challenging track designed by Leopoldo Palacios. The course featured a demanding rollback to a water tray obstacle originally used at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. A single rail dropped early nearly knocked Maher out of contention, but his swift time kept him among the 12 riders advancing to the second round, the outlet noted.
Richard Vogel and United Touch S Miss Out on Grand Slam History
Vogel and his exceptional stallion United Touch S arrived in Calgary carrying immense expectations.
In the first round, Vogel delivered a pristine clear trip, fulfilling his favorite status. But the second round brought faults across the board for all initial clean-sheet contenders. Six riders carrying four faults advanced to a tense jump-off finale.
Switzerland’s newly crowned world champion, Steve Guerdat, set the early jump-off benchmark with a clean round in 42.25 seconds aboard Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte. Maher immediately answered, executing tight rollback turns that required immense upper-body strength to stop the clock at 41.40 seconds.
When Vogel entered the ring, he pushed United Touch S to the limit. The stallion’s trademark long stride and agility gained fractions of a second. However, equi-pages.de reported that the pair clipped the top rail. The Grand Slam dream vanished as Vogel settled for fifth place overall.
Lillie Keenan Narrows the Gap on a Soggy Finale
Returning for the final showdown, Keenan and Fasther left every fence intact and attacked the course in 41.85 seconds, falling just 0.45 seconds short of Maher’s winning time and securing second place.
| Rank | Rider | Horse | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Maher (GBR) | Enjeu de Grisien | Clean jump-off in 41.40 seconds |
| 2 | Lillie Keenan (USA) | Fasther | Clean jump-off in 41.85 seconds |
| 3 | Steve Guerdat (SUI) | Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte | Clean jump-off in 42.25 seconds |
| 4 | Roy van Beek (BEL) | Cavoiro-H OLD | Clean jump-off in 47.88 seconds |
| 5 | Richard Vogel (GER) | United Touch S | Four faults |
Germany Secures Nations Cup Dominance Prior to Grand Prix Drama
Vogel’s disappointment in the Grand Prix followed a major team victory earlier in the week. Germany claimed top honors in the Spruce Meadows Nations Cup, according to Reiterjournal.
Sophie Hinners delivered a stellar performance alongside My Prins, recording the only double-clear rounds among the entire 36-pair starting field in the team competition. Daniel Deußer on Pepita and Jörne Sprehe on Toys rounded out the winning squad alongside Vogel’s mount Cloudio.
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