Great Britain's Ben Maher has been knocking on the door of a grand prix win since the start of the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season and finally came on Sunday of Week 6. The Olympic champion got his win on the grass derby field at Wellington International in the $140,000 IDA Development CSI3* Grand Prix, presented by Barnwalkers, with Ginger-Blue, owned by Jane Forbes Clark.
“My horses have all been jumping great here this season,” Maher said of his consistent results that hadn’t quite produced a big win yet. “I think I’ve been clear in all of my grand prix but not quite getting the jump-off finished. I missed out in the five-star grand prix last week which was a frustrating rider error. I’m very happy to put it right this week with Ginger-Blue. She gave me everything today.”
The 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Plot Blue x Royal Bravour) had only jumped twice in 2025 prior to WEF 6, and both outings produced clear and top results. As a result, Maher was confident she was the pick for the featured test of the week.
“She's naturally an incredibly fast horse,” Maher continued. “She jumped great already on Thursday with an unlucky one down in the jump-off. The jump-offs have been really fast throughout WEF. My reaction time is getting a little quicker and she naturally covers the ground well. Some people took a stride out to the double which is against my rules a little so I knew I had to make time up elsewhere.”
Maher topped the list of seven total jump-off contenders over Catzy Cruz’s (MEX) course. In a winning time of 35.80 seconds He edged out Marilyn Little (USA) by five one-hundreths of a second to bump her to second place with La Contessa. Cathleen Driscoll (USA) rounded out third place with Idalgo, owned by Donald Stewart.
“Ginger-Blue came to me when she was seven years old,” Maher continued about his partnership. “She’s grown up here at WEF. It tends to be quite heavy jumping here. They use bigger material which is more interesting for the crowd but she’s a very careful horse so it tends to back her up a lot. We pick and choose her classes here at WEF. We love the grass; it’s a fantastic facility and great atmosphere today. She’s a trier and that always gives any rider confidence.”
Ginger-Blue was prepared and cared for during the IDA Development 3* Grand Prix by Ulises Flores, who was presented with a $500 cash prize as recipient of the Double H Farm Grooms Award.
The win was made even more special by guest appearances that are quite frequent at WEF. “I’m always trying to win; all my owners are here [in Wellington],” Maher remarked. “Jane Clark was here today. A win here is worth three somewhere else when they’re watching on livestreams. It was great to get that win for the whole team. It helps lift the spirits.”
Natalie Dean (USA), who trains under Maher, ended up in sixth place with a double-clear finish and took the Martha Jolicoeur, Douglas Elliman Leading Lady Rider Ward. Maher is proud of the work she’s put in and has high hopes for the future for their team.
“The progression in what she’s managed to do over the last 12 months is incredible,” he said. “[She has the] mindset, the talent and the horsepower, but she’s putting all those things together and producing consistent results. That’s our job as trainers, to produce and develop the riding and the mental side of things. I’m very proud of where she’s come from.”
To see full results from the $140,000 IDA Development CSI3* Grand Prix, click HERE.
Canada’s Chris Pratt brought home a win to close derby field competition in the $25,000 CPKC National Grand Prix. He piloted Ideaal ES, owned by Take The High Road, LLC, to a fast jump-off time to take the top spot. Eduardo Pereira de Menezes (BRA) captured second with H5 Kosmo ES, owned by H5 Sport Horses LLC, and Cathleen Driscoll (USA) added to her podium appearances on the day by taking third with Casalletto, owned by Plain Bay Farm.
Hallie Grimes Takes Aim at Season Title with a Win in $31,020 BrainJuice U25 Grand Prix
Hallie Grimes (USA) is inching closer to a big goal during the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season. She—like many under-25 grand prix riders—is focused on winning the BrainJuice U25 Grand Prix Series Final, and found herself one step closer with a win in the $31,020 BrainJuice U25 Grand Prix aboard Karoline of Ballmore on the final day of WEF 6.
A competitive field of 59 up-and-coming talents took to Catzy Cruz’s (MEX) two-round course on the grass derby field at Wellington International.
“Karoline of Ballmore “Korra” loves a big field,” Grimes said about the 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Diarado x Convento van de Helle) owned by Can We Keep It?, LLC. “She’s hot as a pistol and loves to have that space to use herself. Today, the jumps were all spread far apart and I felt like I could give her the ride I wanted everywhere. That was definitely an advantage.”
Korra’s fondness of the field traces back to her win in the Rolex Grand Prix in 2022, with Ashlee Bond (ISR) aboard. Grimes knew she could build on the confidence they have as a pair and produce a top result.
“Daniel Bluman and I discussed the jump-off before I went in,” she said of the last-minute advice to take things slower. “He watched everyone before me and we thought a slow clear would be good because my goal is to win the overall. But, we jumped fence one and she felt incredible. I felt like I had control of the momentum and I ran home. I didn’t go all out, but to the last jump I pressed the gas.”
It ended up being enough by a decent margin. Grimes stopped the clock at 44.77 seconds with only one to return behind her. The top three was a trio of U.S. riders with Sterling Malnik (USA) taking second with Cap du Marais in 45.98 seconds, and Clara Propp (USA) in third riding Highway, owned by Aquitaine Equine, in a final time of 46.28 seconds.
Though Grimes is already extremely experienced at the age of 22, she admits she had a lot of learning to do once taking over the ride on Korra.
“She’s taught me more than most horses,” Grimes continued. “It took a lot of getting to know her and a willingness to try things a different way. I do a lot of things with her that might be considered unconventional; I always start with a trot jump in the schooling area because it relaxes her. I’ve adapted to her and she seems to be really happy and healthy, which I take a lot of pride in.
“Everything is about slowing her down,” continued Grimes. “She’s the scopiest horse I’ve ever ridden, so it’s about controlling the momentum. If you get that figured out, she’s a weapon.”
Grimes, who hails from Houston, TX, had a group of friends visiting her and cheering her on from the sidelines on Sunday morning, which proved to be a good luck charm. As a steady competitor in the U25 over the years, she now feels very comfortable at this level and hopes to make the most of the remainder of the season.
“I’ve been doing the U25 series for five years now and there was definitely a point where a U25 grand prix was the biggest thing I’d ever jumped,” she said of how she’s progressed. “Now I’ve jumped a few five-stars consistently. This year I have 10 horses here but a lot of them are quite young, so I’ve been focusing on producing them. I don’t have the string to compete at the highest level this year at WEF but my goal is to win the U25 series this year.”
To see full results from the $31,020 BrainJuice U25 Grand Prix, click HERE.
