Great Britain’s Ben Maher – 2024 Olympic team gold medallist and current world number two – and the 11-year-old stallion Point Break (Action-Breaker x Balou du Rouet) won Friday’s CSIO5* 1.60m €200,000 RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia at the 2025-edition of CHIO Aachen, besting a field of 43 horse-and-rider combinations.
The German course designer Frank Rothenberger had put together another demanding track – counting 13 obstacles and 17 efforts with the time allowed set to 80 seconds – for Friday’s feature class at Soers, which turned into a real headache for the riders. As the last pair out, Ben Maher and Point Break secured a jump-off when delivering one of only two clears; Greece's Ioli Mytilineou and La Perla vd Heffinck had delivered the first as pair no. 36 out.
With these photos, we take another look back at the action in Friday's RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia – the third qualifier for Sunday's Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen.
All photos © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping. No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.
Christian Kukuk and the 10-year-old Chageorge were the pathfinders in the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia.
“The longer the class went on, the more you understood how good that round actually was, and how easy my horse actually made it look; it was only the two centimetres missing on the open water,” Kukuk – eventually good enough to complete the podium in third – said afterwards.
Aaron Vale and Carissimo 25 collected eight penalties over Frank Rothenberger's track.
With the first fence down, Sweden's Peder Fredricson and SV Vroom de La Pomme Z were out of contention before the battle even began for them.
Erynn Ballard and Dior were one of the many pairs that picked up faults at the double of planks at 12ab.
For Stephi de Boer and Querida the competition ended dramatic, with the two parting ways after the open water on the oxer at no. ten.
Gerrit Nieberg's beautiful Ping Pong van de Lentamel.
With eight penalties, Nieberg and Ping Pong van de Lentamel finished outside the top ten.
Full focus for Kevin Jochems and Casquetto van de Helle.
Steve Guerdat and Venard de Cerisy jumped a beautiful round, only to fall victims of the double of planks at 12ab with the b-element falling.
As pair no. 32 out, Brazil's Stephan de Freitas Barcha and Dinozo Imperio Egipcio jumped a picture perfect round – only to be caught out by the double of planks when the a-element on 12ab hit the floor.
Marcus Ehning and Priam du Roset delivered a beautiful round as well – and just like so many others, saw 12a on the floor.
But then came Ioli Mytilineou and La Perla vd Heffinck...
As pair no. 36 out, the Greek rider posted the first clear of the competition – much to the delight of the Soers-crowds.
“I am really proud of my mare. When I walked the course I thought it might be too much," Mytilineou said afterwards.
Ioli with her mother Hannah and groom Daniel Dal Olio.
For Jose Maria Larocca and Abril Iconthon - who eventually finished seventh – it was 12b that kept them from the jump-off...
...just like Adrian Whiteway and Chacco Volo, too.
Richard Vogel and the stunning Cloudio were well on their way to a clear, only to fault on the penultimate 12b and the final fence.
Hans-Dieter Dreher and Cous Cous 3 ready to take on the course.
McLain Ward and Callas picked up four penalties on fence no. 6, making light work of the other difficult parts of the course.
As the second last out, Germany's very own Sophie Hinners jumped a great round with Iron Dames Combella, and a collective groan could be heard over the Soers showgrounds when the plank at 12a fell, leaving Hinners 10th.
As last to go in the first round, Ben Maher and Point Break set off confident.
Team Maher watching nervously at the sidelines...
“Point Break has been with me since he was six; he is an incredible athlete and has proved over recent months that he belongs in these kind of competitions,” Maher said afterwards.
A clear!
A happy Team Maher...
...that has had a fabulous show so far!
Returning in reverse order for the jump-off, Maher – with the slower first round – was the first out. With a stylish round in 46.78 seconds, Maher passed the pressure on to Mytilineou, who as last to go had to settle the 2025 RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia-title. With the second fence on the floor, and then another rail down, she handed the win to Maher.
Jan Distel and Ben Maher celebrating the win.
“I was the only clear for a long time, but it is very rare the only clear wins, especially at a show like this,” second-placed Mytilineou – who is doing her Aachen-debut this weekend – said afterwards.
Christian Kukuk, who was the first the go in the competition, placed third. Here pictured with his wife Veronica and daughter Lilah.
Hugs for the winner!
A happy Team Mytilineou.
Details on point...
Lap of honour.
Once again, congratulations Ben and Point Break!
Then