Access all areas… Ben Maher

The reigning Olympic champion isn’t resting on his laurels – Martha Terry spends one of the rare days Ben Maher is in the country visiting his UK base

- Martha Terry

FROM Explosion W’s window at the back of his stable, he can watch the aeroplanes taking offat Stansted Airport. It’s a neat coincidence that the horse who jumps like a jet plane and spends so much of his time flying round the world scooping prizes should overlook the busy transport hub.

“It wasn’t intentional, but it is convenient being so close to Stansted,” says Ben of Elsenham Stud, his home for the past 15 years. “I’m away so much – at least two flights a week – but I enjoy what I do.”

When H&H visits, Ben has just touched down from Prague, where Explosion finished third in the Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) Super Grand Prix. It’s something of the measure of the new Olympic champion that third in the €1.25m (£1.05m) class is tinged with disappointment.

“I’m happy with the result, but the others were better than me on the day,” says Ben, who was bidding to defend his title. The following day, he will fly to Stockholm for the Sweden International Horse Show.

Every week it’s the same – he flies home from a show on Sunday night and leaves a couple of days later for the next show.

“I used to drive the lorry, but it makes sense for me to fly as I’m hardly at home as it is,” he says. “A good team is so important and it’s why I have people to take care of the things I can’t do – it takes a lot of weight offmy mind.”