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Three GB Show Jumpers Qualify for Individual Final

August 18, 2025

Following today’s second and final round of the Team competition, Ben Maher, Tim Stockdale and Nick Skelton have all qualified for the individual show jumping final at the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in Hong Kong on Thursday. Once again the enormous, technical course designed for today’s competition asked many questions and produced just five clear rounds.

The Appeal Committee’s decision not to allow John Whitaker and Rebecca Stones’ Peppermill to start was met with great disappointment in the British camp, however determined not to let it dampen their spirits or their determination, the three British riders dug deep and remained focussed on delivering top class performances.

Twenty-five year-old Ben Maher riding Daniel Paul’s Rolette, at his first Olympic Games, jumped a breathtaking clear round, to qualify for Thursday’s final in sixth place. Tim Stockdale with John Bosher’s Corlato was extremely unlucky to have two fences down to finish with eight penalties, but secured their place in Thursday’s final by finishing in equal eighteenth place. Nick Skelton riding Lisa Hales’ Russel lowered three poles for twelve jumping penalties and also accrued a single time fault to finish on a total of thirteen. Nick and Russel finished in equal thirty first place.

An ecstatic Ben Maher speaking after his clear round said:

“She was perfect tonight; I don’t think I could have done any better. We all did our best but we were fighting against it from the start, I can’t be unhappy with how I went today at all and it has given me confidence ahead of Thursday’s final. She’s jumping better and better each day and if I ride her well we can be in the top end of the individual final”.

The team gold medal went to the United States of America following a thrilling jump off with Canada who had to settle for the silver. Norway took the bronze medal. Great Britain finished in seventh place.

Gold United States of America

Silver Canada

Bronze Norway

4th Switzerland

5th Germany

5th The Netherlands

7th Great Britain

8th Sweden

9th Australia

The individual final takes place on Thursday 21st August 2008 and is held over two rounds. The top thirty-five riders following today’s final round of the Team competition will contest the first round with the top twenty going through to the final. The medals are decided by the best score combined from the two rounds.

Written by European News · Filed Under Europe and British Isles, Olympics 2008 
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