Olympian accused of attack on ex

Ben Maher is ranked as the fifth top rider in Britain

An Olympic showjumper and his partner have appeared in court accused of attacking his former girlfriend.

Ben Maher, 25, of Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, and Kathleen Baker, 26, of Derry Downs, Orpington, south London are accused of attacking Megan Pugh.

They deny assault causing actual bodily harm to Miss Pugh at The Castle pub near the All-England Jumping course at Hickstead, West Sussex on 31 July 2006.

Miss Pugh told Brighton Crown Court that Miss Baker had lashed out at her.

"She lunged for me," said Miss Pugh, who had previously worked for Mr Maher as a groom. "She literally had hold of my hair and yanked me to the ground."

"I felt somebody holding me down by the mouth, and I looked up and Ben was standing there holding me down."

'Not jealous'

The court heard how Mr Maher, the youngest member of the British equestrian team in Beijing, and fellow showjumper Miss Baker had spent the day at an event at the ground where Mr Maher had been competing.

In a beer tent at the site the two women had had an altercation during which Miss Baker was alleged to have "bumped into" Miss Pugh.

During cross-examination, Miss Pugh told the court that she had decided to avoid Miss Baker for the rest of the day.

However, defence counsel Terence Woods said that it did not appear she was trying to keep her distance and suggested it was actually she who started the fight at the pub where Miss Baker was already socialising with Mr Maher and other friends.

Mr Woods said: "I suggest that you had seen them together. I suggest that this was difficult for you to accept."

Phone call claims

Miss Pugh told the court that she had ended the 18-month romance in July 2005, so she had no need to be jealous.

"In July 2006 I was also with my boyfriend, who I was engaged to," she said.

Mr Maher is currently ranked as the fifth top rider by the British Show Jumping Association and finished 20th in the individual jumping final in Beijing.

Sarah Ellis, defending Mr Maher, said Miss Pugh started making jealous phone calls to him after he began a relationship with Miss Baker.

Miss Pugh described the accusations as "ridiculous" along with claims she had thrown stones at his house in November 2005.

She added: "I wanted my money back. He also still had a few of my personal belongings that I wanted back."

The case continues.