Britain's Ben Maher wins Huawei Grand Prix of Rotterdam after riveting jump-off

49 combinations appeared in the arena on the final Sunday for the Huawei Grand Prix of Rotterdam. 11 riders stayed in the clear to make it to the jump-off. And it was closer than close: the finish times of the top 3 riders were within a second of one another. Ben Maher and Point Break set a time of 42.98 seconds, Luke Dee and Gangster WW of 43.14 seconds and Willem Greve of 43.97 seconds.

Ben Maher also took the gold with the British team last Friday in the Longines League of Nations. He was happy with the win today, not having been convinced of the best outcome during his ride in the jump-off. "It didn't quite go according to plan. We had a moment at the green oxer that I thought was worse than what it proved to be in the video. This is a very nice win for me and the team back home. In my career, I've had many highlights, but it has been a while since I've won a 5* Grand Prix." 

Smart and athletic

"He praised his stallion Point Break. " He's an incredible horse, one of the best I've ever ridden. His stride is a bit shoter, but he's smart and is so athletic. The way he moves over the obstacles, it's almost like he doesn't have any bones in his body."

"We've had a lot of second places recently. When you're competing, it of course all has to fall into place of the day itself and there's some luck involved. To compete at this level week in, week out is challenging. I'm lucky to be able to ride some fantastic horses and have fantastic support at home, so there's no excuse: it's down to me to go and do it. It's nice that today we managed to win and that I can take this victory home with me."

For New Zealand's Luke Dee, his second place was a cherry on top of a time of learning and growing. "It was a tough course, but my horse was fantastic. Since 18 months, I've been based with Nick Skelton and Laura Kraut in Great-Britain. We were both green when we first got there, and to achieve this kind of result here is great. I hope we can continue to grow in the lead-up to the Word Equestrian Games this summer."

Better partner

Willem Greve was satisfied with a third place. "When you're one of the first riders in a jump-off, you know you're setting an example for the riders that follow. They can improve on what you did. And unfortunately for me, that's what they did today."

He sang Grandorado TN's praises. "He was amazing. The older he gets, the better. I'm getting to know him more and more, and he's becoming more and more my partner. I'm very happy with him."

"It was an exciting competition and I'd like to give credit to the organisation. As riders we really appreciate what the team and the volunteers do to make this event possible. It's for a reason that CHIO Rotterdam is one of the classics among all the horse shows."