Ben Maher MBE is a British showjumper and three-time Olympic gold medallist, best known for winning the individual showjumping gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games riding Explosion W.
He turned professional at 17, trained under British Olympic rider Liz Edgar, and went on to become the first British showjumper ever ranked world number one.
Who is Ben Maher?
Ben Maher is a British equestrian athlete who competes in showjumping at the highest international level for Great Britain.
His full name is Benjamin Richard Maher, and he holds the honour of Member of the British Empire (MBE), awarded for services to equestrianism.
Maher competed at five consecutive Olympic Games, from Beijing 2008 through to Paris 2024.
That record alone places him among the most durable athletes British equestrian sport has produced.
His three Olympic gold medals tie him with three-day eventer Richard Meade and dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin as the most decorated British Olympic equestrian in terms of gold medals.
He also ran his own global equestrian enterprise, Ben Maher Stables, with operations based in Hertfordshire and Florida.
Early Life of Ben Maher
Ben Maher Age / Birthday
Ben Maher is 43 years old as of 2026, born on January 30, 1983. His zodiac sign is Aquarius, a sign often linked with independence and a strong drive to achieve.
At 43, he is still competing at the elite international level for Great Britain.
Ben Maher Ethnicity and Nationality
Maher is British, born and raised in Enfield, Greater London, England. He is of white British descent.
Despite growing up in a family with no equestrian background, he built one of the most successful careers in British showjumping history.
Benjamin Richard Maher was born on January 30, 1983, in Enfield, Greater London.
His family did not come from a horse-riding background, which makes his ascent to the top of the sport stand out.
He began riding at the age of eight, joining the local showjumping circuit and The Pony Club shortly after.
His brother and sister were not involved in the sport. The decision to ride came from within, and his parents supported his early development on the local circuit.
He grew up in and around Hertfordshire and later made it his permanent base. As a youngster, he was taken to the Hickstead showjumping event, which left a lasting impression.
That experience shaped his ambition to compete at the highest level. By the time he was a teenager, he was already working in the equestrian world full-time.
Ben Maher Height and Weight
Maher stands at 6 feet tall, or 183 centimetres. His weight is around 150 lbs, equal to 68 kg.
For a showjumper, his height is on the taller end, and he rides horses that are well-matched to his frame.
Ben Maher Education
Maher attended Saffron Walden County High School in Essex. After finishing school, he began training with Liz Edgar, a British Olympic showjumper who played a key role in shaping his early career.
He then travelled to Switzerland, where he spent two years riding for and learning from Swiss showjumper Beat Mandli.
That international training period gave him technical depth and exposure to high-level European competition.
By 18, he was already competing at a serious professional level. The combination of Edgar’s discipline and Mandli’s European approach built the foundation for his later success.
Ben Maher Career
Junior Years and Early Professional Career (2004–2011)
Maher represented Great Britain on pony, junior, and young rider teams throughout his teens.
In 2004, he rode with the British Young Riders team at the European Championships and won team gold. That result showed his potential and put him on the radar of British Equestrian selectors.
He turned professional at 17, working first with Liz Edgar, who he credits with laying the groundwork for his international career.
By his mid-20s, he competed regularly in CSI5* Grand Prix events across Europe and the United States. His first job in the equestrian industry started at just 14, working for Edgar before moving to Switzerland.
In 2008, Maher made his Olympic debut at the Beijing Games, riding Roulette. Great Britain finished fifth as a team.
That appearance, at just 25 years old, marked him as the youngest member of the British showjumping team.
London 2012 and Breakthrough on the World Stage (2012–2013)
The 2012 London Olympics became the defining moment of Maher’s early career. Riding Tripple X III, he was part of the British team that won gold in the team jumping final.
That victory gave Great Britain their first Olympic team gold in showjumping in 60 years.
At the 2013 European Championships in Herning, Denmark, Maher won team gold and individual silver riding Cella.
That same year, he reached the number one spot in the FEI Longines World Rankings in September 2013, becoming the first British showjumper to hold that distinction.
He also won the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of London at Olympic Park with Cella in 2013.
That win in front of a home crowd, combined with his world ranking, confirmed him as the leading British showjumper of his generation.
Tokyo 2020 Individual Gold and Recent Seasons (2021–2026)
Maher underwent serious back surgery in 2020 after suffering pain for years from falls accumulated during his career.
The recovery was significant, but he returned to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in August 2021.
At Tokyo, riding Explosion W, he won the individual showjumping gold medal in a jump-off. That result made him Britain’s reigning Olympic individual champion.
He also rode at the 2022 FEI Jumping World Championships in Herning, where he helped Britain win a team bronze with Faltic HB, the country’s first World Championship team medal.
In 2024 at the Paris Olympics, Maher rode Dallas Vegas Batilly, a mare he co-owns with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright.
He delivered a clear round in the team final, contributing to Great Britain’s team gold alongside Scott Brash and Harry Charles. That result gave Maher his third Olympic gold medal.
He also sustained a broken foot in early 2025 during a non-horse-related accident yet still competed and won a $90,000 class at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, riding Point Break.
At the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen, he helped Great Britain win team bronze.
Ben Maher Career Stats and Records
| Event | Year | Horse | Medal / Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games, Beijing | 2008 | Roulette | 5th (Team) |
| Olympic Games, London | 2012 | Tripple X III | Gold (Team) |
| European Championships | 2011 | Tripple X III | Bronze (Team) |
| European Championships | 2013 | Cella | Gold (Team), Silver (Individual) |
| Olympic Games, Rio | 2016 | Tic Tac | Competed |
| European Championships | 2019 | Various | Silver (Individual), Bronze (Team) |
| Olympic Games, Tokyo | 2020 | Explosion W | Gold (Individual) |
| World Championships, Herning | 2022 | Faltic HB | Bronze (Team) |
| Olympic Games, Paris | 2024 | Dallas Vegas Batilly | Gold (Team) |
| European Championships, A Coruna | 2025 | Various | Silver (Team) |
| World Championships, Aachen | 2026 | Various | Bronze (Team) |
Ben Maher Awards and Championships
Maher received his MBE in the 2013 New Year Honours List for services to equestrianism, announced at the height of his world number one ranking period.
He reached the world number one spot in the FEI Longines Rankings in September 2013, a first for any British showjumper.
- Olympic Team Gold: London 2012, Paris 2024
- Olympic Individual Gold: Tokyo 2020
- Olympic Team: 5th Place, Beijing 2008
- European Championships Team Gold: 2013 Herning
- European Championships Individual Silver: 2013 Herning, 2019 Rotterdam
- World Championships Team Bronze: 2022 Herning, 2026 Aachen
- Longines Global Champions Tour: Won consecutive championships in 2018 and 2019
- FEI World Number One: September 2013 (first British showjumper to achieve this)
Ben Maher Endorsements and Sponsorships
Maher became a brand ambassador for Land Rover in 2013, joining Zara Phillips under the manufacturer’s equestrian sponsorship umbrella.
That relationship tied him to one of the UK’s most recognisable automotive brands during the peak years of his career.
He also partnered with Falcon Equine Feeds for nutritional support, renewing that deal in 2014.
In 2023, he agreed a partnership with Hermès as a saddlery partner rider, and that same year also signed with HorseHage.
His long-term sponsorship relationships reflect both his sustained elite performance and his commercial appeal in the equestrian world.
Ben Maher Wife
Ben Maher married Sophie Gracida in August 2021, just weeks after winning individual gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
The wedding took place at his Hertfordshire base, with close friends and family in attendance. Explosion W, his gold medal horse, was also present on the day.
Sophie is an American showjumper and originally from the United States. The couple met through the equestrian world and were together for several years before marrying.
Sophie comes from a family with strong equestrian roots, with her father, brother, and uncle all involved in the sport.
Maher previously married Kathleen Baker in 2009. They divorced in 2011 after two years of marriage, and the couple had no children together.
The reason for their separation was not publicly confirmed.
Ben Maher Children
Ben and Sophie Maher have two children. Their son Cooper joined the family in July 2022. Cooper has already shown an interest in horses, with his parents noting his affinity for pony Oreo.
Their daughter, Quinn Amy Maher, arrived in November 2024, named by British Equestrian on their official site.
Both children have grown up around the sport. Cooper attended his first equestrian event at a young age, which Maher had hoped would happen as early as Hickstead, the same event that inspired his own career.
Ben Maher Net Worth
Ben Maher’s estimated net worth is $10 million as of 2026.
His wealth comes from his prize money and appearance fees from competing at the highest levels of international showjumping, as well as his commercial partnerships and the business he runs through Ben Maher Stables.
Endorsements
His endorsement portfolio has been built steadily across more than a decade. Land Rover brought him on as a brand ambassador in 2013.
Hermès joined as a saddlery partner in 2023. Falcon Equine Feeds and HorseHage have also provided long-term backing.
These deals, alongside his appearance at major international events, form a significant part of his overall income.
Business
Maher runs Ben Maher Stables as a global equestrian enterprise.
The operation splits between Hertfordshire, England, and Florida in the United States, where the Winter Equestrian Festival provides a major competitive hub each year.
He also previously co-founded Four Seasons Stables, a training and sales company based in Essex.
Managing horses for international owners such as Charlotte Rossetter, Pamela Wright, and Jane Forbes Clark has kept his competitive operation well-funded across multiple seasons.
Ben Maher Social Media
Maher is active on Instagram as @benmaherofficial and on Facebook at his official page.
His Instagram bio describes him as an international showjumper with Olympic individual and double team gold medals.
Conclusion
Ben Maher’s record of three Olympic gold medals across five Games, combined with the world number one ranking and victories at the sport’s most prestigious venues, places him at the top of British showjumping history.
He competed at Paris 2024 and the 2026 World Championships while raising two young children and running a global equestrian operation.