May 2, 2025 
Don’t hold out for a swan song just yet—the Shanghai Swans are just getting started.
Just three legs into the 2025 Global Champions League, the Swans have jumped to the top of the overall leaderboard with a “home” victory in the Global Champions League of Shanghai, thanks to team members Ben Maher and Max Kühner. The team didn’t lead wire to wire, but the two Olympians did what they do best, keeping their cool and delivering fast rounds to come from behind, securing the win.
On their side was plenty of horsepower; they both switched horses between rounds to utilize the depth of their strings. Maher piloted Enjeu de Grisien in round one, swapping to Dallas Vegas Batilly for round two, and Kühner brought out EIC Julius Caesar and EIC Up Too Jacco Blue for the respective rounds. They finished on just one rail throughout four jumping rounds, ultimately the best score on the fastest time.
Both of the team’s second-round horses have surpassed the €1 million mark in earnings, jumping major championships and proving themselves on world stages. Their first round horses are both newer to the scene, but consistent rounds at major events like these are helping develop them into true competitors. The riders followed the same strategy, allowing the newbies to set the stage and their more established mounts to deliver under pressure.
Maher’s positive attitude kept both riders strong headed after round one, despite having one rail down as several teams remained on fault-free scores.
“There were a lot of teams on four faults and you never quite know what is going to happen with the teams on zero,” Maher said of the regroup between rounds. “I said to Max before I went in, ‘Start with a positive attitude and try to ride it a little bit quick.’”
When an Olympic gold medalist tells you what to do, you listen. It helped that Kühner never doubted the team’s abilities either.
“We have both great horses and naturally fast horses,” the Austrian rider said. “We also have a lot of trust in them so we could concentrate a bit more on the speed, trusting them to jump clear. I had a feeling it would be enough.”
With plenty of horsepower to spare, Maher, who recently finished second at FEI World Cup Finals on a different mount, was very pleased with the result.
“My round all went to plan,” he continued. “Dallas jumped incredible today, and I think it also set Max off in a good stead and he emulated my round, just a little bit quicker than me, putting enough pressure on the teams to come. It worked in our favor having to come from behind today.”
With strong team camaraderie and the support of generous team owners, the Swans are riding a confidence high.
“I always say even when it doesn’t work that well we have a great team of riders, horses, and owners,” Kühner said of the Shanghai Swans. “We should be somewhere in front. Being here in Shanghai and taking the lead is something special. It’s an outstanding place they’ve built here in Shanghai and it’s a special honor to be in front here.”
Teammate Daniel Deusser wasn’t selected to represent the Swans in Shanghai, but he ended up as an individual winner in the class, proving the depth of the Swans’ bench.
“Daniel jumped two clear rounds, so we would have won with a bigger margin if he were on the team,” Maher shared. “It’s great to have him as backup. Difficult choices for the team managers to make between us all. We’re a great team on paper and we just have to keep the momentum going.”
Overall, the Shanghai Swans have moved into first place in the Global Champions League standings, followed by the Cannes Stars and Valkenswaard United. At the next leg in Madrid, May 16–18, the Swans will pull from their large pool of talent that also includes Christian Ahlmann, Antoine Ermann and Katharina Rhomberg to keep their win streak alive.
