His gold and silver medal winning performance at last month's European Jumping Championships in Denmark saw him scale from 19th place to top the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) World Jumping Riders Rankings with 2,510 points.

His 21-point lead meant he knocked Germany's Christian Ahlmann, who is now in fourth place on 2,410 points, from the top spot he had held since December 2012.

Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 champion Beezie Madden of the United States is the top ranked female rider in second place with 2,489 points, while Germany's Marcus Ehning sits in third on 2,450.

In fifth place is current Olympic individual gold medallist Gerco Schröder of the Netherlands some 160 points behind Maher.

Maher's fellow Briton Scott Brash, who was also on the historic gold medal winning teams at the European Championships and at London 2012, joins him in the top 10, having moved up from 25th to ninth place.

Beezie Madden is the highest ranked female showjumper in second place


"It has been an amazing year since winning gold at the London Olympics with Tripple X III," Maher said.

"When Jane Clark's grand prix horses joined my existing team I was able to choose and target classes and focus on each horse's strengths and this consistent approach has paid off.

"I would like to thank all my owners, staff and sponsors whom have paid such a huge part in this success.

"Becoming number one in the world has always been a long held goal of mine and today it has come true although I think it will take a little time to sink in."

Britain's showjumping world class performance manager Rob Hoekstra said he was "extremely proud" to have two riders in the top ten of the world rankings.

"British showjumping is on a high and is back where it should be, at the top and winning," he added.

"The gold medal win at the London Olympics was purely a start, we now find ourselves twelve months later with another team gold under our belts along with two individual medals.

"To have Ben now ranked the best rider in the world and Scott Brash sitting in ninth place is the best news I could have received."

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