August 28, 2023 
“Dallas Vegas Batilly once again performed fantastically for me. She has a huge stride. Until today, she wasn’t the fastest horse, but we worked on it gradually, and it really paid off,” said Ben Maher (GBR) after winning Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix CSI5* at the Brussels Stephex Masters.
It was their first CSI5* Grand Prix win together, and after knocking at the door all season it’s no surprise they put together an (almost) foot perfect performance.
“In the second round, I decided to take fewer strides between the jumps. That made it difficult for anybody else to catch up. I slipped a bit on the way to the final jump, and oddly enough, that helped me get to the last fence quicker,” Maher confessed.
By show jumping’s standards it was much quicker, being the only pair out of the 12 combinations who contested the second round track to break 40 seconds. They finished on a brisk 39.93 seconds, while second place finisher José María Larocca Jr. and 13-year-old gelding Finn Lente tallied 41.49 seconds.
After a surprising turn of events, where it was discovered that Olivier Philippaerts and 17-year-old mare H&M Legend Of Love’s four-faults in the first round were caused by a flying shoe, they were permitted to jump-off. Their effort translated to 40.63 seconds on the clock.
This Grand Prix, however, belonged to Dallas Vegas Batilly. The 10-year-old mare was fitted with Maher’s saddle at the end of September 2022 after being previously campaigned Nicolas Delmotte (FRA). It didn’t take long for Dallas Vegas Batilly to define herself amongst Maher’s top string of horses. This summer, they took silver with the British team for the Mercedes Benz Nation’s Cup at CHIO Aachen, and last weekend were third on the podium for the LGCT Grand Prix of Valkenswaard.
Better yet, her stats across all levels are trending in the green. Out of her only 19 rounds at 1.60m, Dallas Vegas Batilly has an impressive 47% clear round and 41% top ten finish rate, according to Jumpr App. This season with Maher, those stats climb to 50% and 55%, respectively—an uptick of 35% and 29% over their 2022 season.
Her overall numbers are as consistent, with a 54% clear round rate calculating all 126 FEI rounds jumped. The consensus is the mare’s success is on the rise, and no matter where in world Maher is, they’re ones to watch.
“This has been a special week for me. With the upcoming European Championship, I have various teams working for me both here and at home, which is a challenge. Yet, all my horses jumped fantastically here, and I felt incredibly good,” said Maher.
Maybe it’s the autumn freshness that’s filled the Belgian air, but Larocca also found Finn Lente to be jumping his best on Sunday.
“At first glance, the course appeared quite challenging, and the time allowed was tight. However, Finn Lente was in excellent form, so I expect a good result. My horse is highly experienced and incredibly reliable. He isn’t easily shaken,” said Larocca.
Philippaerts was also steadfast in his ride, though he had every excuse to be shaken. H&M Legend Of Love was already at the wash rack, the team resolved in their result of bad luck.
“It was a unique afternoon for me. I was completely unaware I cleared the course. After I finished my round, I felt disappointed that I couldn’t compete in the second one. My horse was even getting a wash when I unexpectedly got the green light to compete again. I honestly wasn’t aware of the rule that a fault resulting from a dislodged horseshoe wouldn’t be counted. I must commend the judges for their meticulousness,” said a candid Philippaerts.
While Philippaerts podium finish is an example of how show jumping is far from predictable, horses like Dallas Vegas Batilly are always a safe bet.
