The German was astride a relatively new ride, Coolio 42, on an afternoon which saw a surprising elimination for Kevin Staut.
Ben Maher
The Brit stole victory from reigning European champion Steve Guerdat of Switzerland in the eight-horse jump-off in Italy.
Britannia rules day 1 as the competition starts heating up heading into show jumping's richest weekend of sport.
The British rider managed to oust the Germans from the top of the podium on home turf; Beth Underhill will ride with the Rome Gladiators.
The reigning Olympic champion rode Dallas Vegas Batilly to victory in a 14-horse jumpoff during “Saturday Night Lights” at WEF.
The 20-year-old Belgian Sport Horse has taken up permanent residence in Florida; he and Ben have been a formidable pair over the years.
The British rider took the overall Global Champions Tour title for the third time, amassing 255 pts and winning over €454k over the season.
Darragh Kenny and Ben Maher topped the Round 1 field at the spectacular oceanside venue for team owner Jennifer Gates.
Olympic gold medallist Ben Maher reunited with longtime partner Tic Tac to win Sunday's feature grand prix on the Derby Field.
Boyd Exell strikes again, Jack leads the pack, Bradstock and Kühner share the Six Bar spoils and Fuchs snags the Snowflake Stakes.
