Maher has developed into one of the defining riders of his generation. The British rider combines an impressive sporting legacy with a life that now partly unfolds in the United States, where he continues to expand his training base. With Olympic titles in London and Tokyo, and the recent team gold in Paris, he is one of the very few who consistently leave their mark at the highest level.

Maher openly admits that his career didn’t begin as a fairy-tale success. “As a young rider, I really wasn’t very successful,” he says. “I was in my late twenties when I truly started to break through.”

That late rise shaped him. Maher smiles as he looks back: “If I could have one wish, I’d like to be younger again, but with the experience I have now.” It captures his drive for perfection, a trait that has helped him write Olympic history.

A defining emotional moment remains the 2019 European Championships. “My best memory and my biggest disappointment sit so close together,” he reflects. With the team he won bronze, and individually he took silver with Explosion W. “I had to jump clear for gold. That rail at the second-last fence… I still feel that moment.”

Despite his international lifestyle, Maher remains remarkably present on Dutch soil. “Dutch shows are among the best in the world,” he states. “I’ve become spoiled by the quality and the organization. I can’t recall a single bad show within those borders.” He travels there frequently to view horses and values the structure and professionalism he finds.

His view on the sport remains both critical and forward-looking. On new competition formats he says: “Not every concept is perfect. Locations and scheduling need to be right if you want a global competition to radiate top-class sport. There’s still work to be done.”

On a personal level, Maher has also entered a new chapter in recent years. Becoming a father has given him a different perspective on his career. “Horses have always been my life,” he says, “but since becoming a parent, I look differently at my time and priorities. My family means everything.”

Despite his extensive list of achievements, his motivation remains remarkably clear. “I’m not focused on what I’ve already won,” he says. “I look at where I can decide better, prepare better. That’s where progress lies.” Yet his hunger for results remains unshaken. “I’ve won a lot, but I’ve just as often finished second,” he says sharply. “And I always want to win. That feeling never goes away.”

Ben Maher continues to stand as one of the most impressive figures in show jumping: driven, precise, ambitious, and at the same time notably modest. His career is far from over; if it’s up to him, the best chapter is only just beginning.