Von Eckermann vs. Maher Prediction on July 29, 2024

Match info

Three distinct disciplines—jumping, dressage, and eventing—will be showcased during equestrian events at the Paris Olympics 2024. The shadow of the historic Château de Versailles will be the playground where the first-mentioned discipline, which we’ll focus on here, is to take place. It means that Day 3 of the Summer Games in the French capital will see the first two sets of medals awarded in the sport as team jumping finals are to take place in addition to individual jumping, from which there are high expectations. The competition will take place on Monday, July 29, at 3 p.m. local time.

Meeting statistics

There are not many sports in which men and women compete on equal terms, and equestrian is one of those. At the same time, it’s the only Olympic event to involve animals. Interestingly, this sport debuted at the last Paris Olympics, which were held in 1900, so it means that equestrian returns to its Olympic roots.

The No. 1 ranked rider in the world since 2022 and undisputed champion of equestrian jumping is Henrik Von Eckermann of Sweden, who’s going into this Olympics carrying a heavy burden. His success has been largely attributed to his partnership with his outstanding horse, King Edward, who has helped them win several prestigious titles and the top spot in the FEI rankings. Von Eckermann has been great since placing fourth in Tokyo. Even though he missed stepping on the individual jumping podium in the Japanese capital three years ago, Von Eckermann was instrumental in helping his country win its first team gold medal since 1924. He won gold in the 2022 ECCO FEI World Championships, as well as the 2023 and 2024 FEI Jumping World Cups. All Von Eckermann needs is an Olympic individual title to round out his impressive CV. Given his performance in previous contests, he should win the title and is rightfully promoted as the top favorite for gold by horse racing bookmakers.

No. 4 ranked rider Steve Guerdat of Switzerland is Von Eckermann will be up against. He has won three World Cups; the most recent one was in 2019. In addition, he has five Olympian medals, including one for individual jumping from the London Games.

Ben Maher of Great Britain, the reigning Olympic champion and current world No. 2, will also be a contender for gold. It was said he might never ride again last year. He suffered a shoulder injury at the beginning of 2023, but in the previous 15 months, he overcame many obstacles and staged an incredible recovery to take second place in the world rankings. Maher finished sixth at the 2022 and 2024 World Championships. He also has a European title from 2013 and a gold medal from the London Olympics team jumping competition a year prior to that. With a notable victory at the opening Grand Prix of this Olympic year, the British rider has dominated the equestrian scene for decades and consistently places highly in World Cups and other international competitions. In spite of a last-minute change of horses at the 2022 World Championships, Maher added to his vast expertise prior to Paris by helping Great Britain secure the bronze team medal. He’s the third-ranked favorite for gold.

Match analytics

Von Eckermann and King Edward possess all of these qualities: speed, accuracy, patience, and agility. The Swede, along with his horse, is without a doubt the top contender heading into Paris. Can he win individual Olympic gold to finally complete his collection? We think that Maher will be standing in Von Eckermann’s way. So if you’re ready to include some risk in your equestrian betting for the Olympics in Paris, opt for Maher, whose outright win odds are set at 10 by Meridianbet.