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As the day came to a close, thousands of eager spectators gathered in the Grand Place Arena for the first major highlight of the Brussels Stephex Masters 2025: the CSIO5* 1.50m Qualifier, presented by Equihome. A strong result here was key to securing a place in Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix, presented by Audi (2:30 p.m.).
The class, run against the clock, brought 58 combinations to the start. Midway through, Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi with Chacco Bay had set the standard with 68.44 seconds. In the second half of the competition, Belgium’s Jérôme Guery took over the lead with Careca LS Elite, posting 67.93 seconds. His time seemed unbeatable, until Tokyo Olympic Champion Ben Maher entered the ring. With Ginger-Blue, he stopped the clock at a lightning-fast 66.05 seconds, 1.88 quicker, to secure the win. For Maher, it was another triumph in Wolvertem, where he already claimed the Rolex Grand Prix, presented by Audi in 2023.
Ben Maher: “Ginger is a horse I’ve had an incredible partnership with since she was seven years old. She’s unbelievably fast and she loves this arena, which is exactly why I chose her for this class. Honestly, I didn’t expect to come out on top. I’m very fortunate with the fantastic string of horses I have in my stable. I’m ambitious here at the Brussels Stephex Masters, though I know the Belgians will be very hard to beat.”
