Ben Maher and Ginger-Blue Secure Victory in 1.45m at Longines Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach

Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Ginger-Blue flew to the top of the podium in the 1.45m CSI5* during the first day of competition at the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) of Miami Beach. Course designer Uliano Vezzani created a testing and technical track for the 54 horse and rider combinations entered in the class. Maher and Ginger-Blue topped the leaderboard with an impressive time of 24.06 seconds.

“She was amazing,” said Maher of the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Jane Forbes Clark. “She’s been in Wellington all winter, so she’s used to the weather. This is her first time in an arena like this but she’s brave and took on the arena really well.”

Maher was thrilled to be back competing at Miami Beach in the beautiful arena alongside the Atlantic Ocean.

“For the horses, this venue takes some getting used to but I’m very, very happy with them,” commented Maher. “They are well-seasoned horses and used to most of the environments now. Ginger-Blue has had some great form in this type of arena in the past.”

Netherlands claimed the next two spots on the podium with Johnny Pals and the 11-year-old Zangersheide mare Zarkava Hero Z finishing second. Sanne Thijssen and Zeppelin Blue, a 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding, captured third.