Maher Brings “The Boss” Back to Verona
Ben Maher was reigning Olympic Individual Champion when he won the fourth leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ in Verona 12 months ago. This year he returns to the top Italian venue with another Olympic gold medal in his collection, and partnering the same brilliant mare that carried him to the top step of the Team podium for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games just a few short months ago.
When he steered Dallas Vegas Batilly to victory at Jumping Verona 2023 he had plenty of reason to celebrate. His year had begun with a nasty shoulder injury that kept him out of the saddle for a couple of months but, as he reflected later, his horses seemed to thrive due to the break from competition while he recovered. When he returned to action they were in flying form, and Dallas Vegas Batilly really put herself on the map with her Verona win.
He had only been riding her for just over a year. “We felt I needed one more horse ready for the big classes so we got her and it took me some time to get to know her well. She’s great, but she likes to be the boss and for me to be the passenger!”, he explained at the time.
History books
A year later and he and “the boss” have written their names into the Olympic history books, joining Harry Charles riding Romeo and Scott Brash and Jefferson to post a clean, crisp result without a single fence down and counting just two time faults for Team gold ahead of the USA in silver medal spot and the hosts from France in bronze. It was Britain’s third Olympic team showjumping title, and both Maher and Brash were also on the glorious winning side on home ground at London 2012 along with Harry Charles’ father Peter Charles and Nick Skelton.
Brash, who showed nerves of steel when clinching that top step of the podium with his last-to-go ride for Team Great Britain in Paris, will also line out in Verona this week where the sparkling line-up of stars includes three of the top six in the world rankings. Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat is world number two and is a three-time World Cup champion, Maher is number three and Austria’s Max Kuhner has moved up into sixth place. Simon Delestre from France now lies 12th and is a two-time World Cup winner in Verona - in 2015 and again in 2021 with the great Hermes Ryan.
The 23rd edition of Jumping Verona takes place within the framework of the world-famous international horse fair the Fieracavalli which this year celebrates its 126th edition. There will be seven international showjumping competitions with a total prizefund of €470,000 of which €200,000 will be on offer in Sunday’s Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ qualifier presented by Kask.
TAILORMADE AND MARK BRING BOLOGNI BACK UNDER THE LIMELIGHT
The name Arnaldo Bologni is deeply embedded into the story of showjumping in Italy. Yet the 62-year-old Olympian, who will be the most senior competitor at Jumping Verona 2024 this week, has only competed at the CSI5* fixture twice before - in 2001 and again in 2007.
He was 26 years old when he represented Italy at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games partnering the bay mare Eileen, and 28 years later he is still full of enthusiasm for the sport. Not for the first time in his long and successful career the acquisition of some talented new mounts has whetted his appetite for further success.
“To be competitive at a certain level, you need horses that are up to the job: I have them now, so here I am again!”, he says. “Moreover, you only enter an arena of such importance if you are well set in mind and body. This is so true for both riders and horses”, he adds.
Up to the job
It certainly seems that he has horses well “up to the job” in the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding Tailormade Mequilot PS and the 15-year-old Hannoverian gelding D Mark 2 who, this year, have put the spotlight back on the man from Reggio Emilia.
“With Giovanna Trenti, a friend and veterinarian who looks after my horses, we took Mark from Massimo Grossato at the end of 2023. It was my son Filippo, a keen observer of competitions and horses, who brought Mark to our attention. Mark has a very special character and Filippo thought that with me he would be able to give the best of himself. And he really did…”, Bologni Senior explains.
“We were fourth in the Grand Prix 3* in Arezzo, we scored a double-clear in the Nations Cup in Prague, we attended Hickstead, we were first in the Grand Prix 3* in Cervia and we performed the clear round that qualified him for the jump-off of the Grand Prix 5* at the Longines Global Champions Tour in Rome” - a tremendous record so far.
Delighted
Arnaldo is delighted with Tailormade too. “He doesn't have Mark's experience, but he has a lot of scope. He is owned by Andrea Riffeser Monti, there is always great understanding with him and it is a pleasure to have such a horse owner. In any case, both Mark and Tailormade arrive in top condition for the Verona event and we are ready to take our chance!”, he says.
And it will be a Bologni family affair as Arnaldo will be joined by his 30-year-old son Filippo who will be competing in Verona for the tenth time in his career with two young horses, C-Willie and Trusilla.
Asked how he feels about returning to compete in the City of Love which is the fabled home of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet a full 17 years after his last Verona visit, Arnaldo replies with a smile….”well, I think I’ve grown wiser over the years……!”
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