Text © World of Showjumping

Great Britain's Ben Maher and the 15-year-old gelding Exit Remo (San Remo x Ferro) were the best in Saturday's CSIO5* 1.55m Allianz-Prize at CHIO Aachen 2024. 

Ten riders proceeded to the winning round in the Allianz-Prize, and that was also the exact number of clear rounds produced over the tricky track that Frank Rothenberger (GER) had built for the 32 horse-and-rider combinations in the class. 

Returning first for the winning round was reigning European champion Steve Guerdat (SUI) and Albführen's Iashin Sitte (Bamako de Muze x Tinka's Boy) who set the time to beat to 37.25 seconds with a neat and quick round. However, four riders later, McLain Ward (USA) entered the arena at Soers with the 16-year-old mare Callas (Casall x Coriano) and with a lightning-fast round the American style-icon shaved the leading time down to 37.01 seconds – which looked like it would be very hard to beat for those to come. 

Reigning Olympic champion Ben Maher is not one to shy away from a challenge though, and as next in the ring he set Exit Remo in top gear from the beginning. Cheered and whistled on, the current world no. two chased Ward's time the whole way and as he crossed the finish line the clock showed an incredible 36.54 seconds – there was a new leader at Soers. 

While Kevin Staut (FRA) gave it a good go aboard Beau de Laubry Z (Bisquet Balou C x Nabab de Reve), his time of 37.11 put him behind Maher and Ward, but Maher was not safe just yet as the last to go into the ring was no other than in-form Richard Vogel (GER) with his speed-machine Cydello (Cascadello x Forsyth FRH). And Vogel came close, very close, but with 0.36 seconds in plus as he crossed the finish line, the flying German had to settle for second this time around, pushing Ward to third, Staut to fourth and Guerdat to fifth.

"My owners are here, so I have been doing my best to get a win, but it is hard with the best of the world here beside me," Maher said in the press conference following his victory. "Every class is difficult to win here. Exit Remo, he is sometimes in the shadow of my other horses, but this is a big win for him and I am very happy for him; he is an amazing horse and it is nice for him to have some limelight like this."

"I have to look back on the video, but I think all three of us rode identical rounds with the number of strides," Maher explained about his winning round. "Exit Remo, he normally has a very, very big stride, but when I set up to the first fence today, he didn't really want to go as fast as I wanted to go. So, it meant that everything was pushing; it wasn't actually such a nice feeling, to be honest, but it made me faster and I cut hard to the right side on the second jump, which wasn't the plan, but sometimes things work out to your advantage. I think that was just the difference between myself and the second and third placed." 

"Second place is getting familiar," Richard Vogel, who picked up the runner-up spot, commented. "But as long as I am on the podium, I am happy. In such a jump-off, being a little bit behind Ben almost feels like a win." 

"The feeling was super, it was the first time for him in Aachen; it was his premier," Vogel said about his horse, the 10-year-old Cydello. "Going into the week, I was not so sure if he would like it here or not. He is a very sensitive horse, he is very brave with the jumping part, but he can be spooky and a bit shy with everything else around. But he was growing from day to day in this arena here. I am more than happy with him." 

"I am thrilled with Callas, she has been incredible all summer and in particular this week," third-placed Mclain Ward said. "I am thrilled with her performance. Maybe I could have done eight up the first line with her stride, but that would have been all the risk and I was a little conservative."