Bertram Allen makes first strike at Stockholm with speed class win

IRELAND’S Bertram Allen took a remarkable win at the four-star show at Stockholm, Sweden tonight (Saturday) when claiming the Volkswagen Cup trophy after being drawn first to jump.

Though starting in the most disadvantageous position of the 17 competitors, the Wexford-born 20 year-old nevertheless put in a textbook display of speed jumping on Quainton Stud’s chestnut gelding Quiet Easy, and despite rattling a few poles on his way, finished clear in a time of 60.95 seconds.

Allen’s turn of speed did not become immediately apparent until some of the riders who followed him came home almost four seconds adrift of his time. It wasn’t until Britain’s Olympic team gold medallist Ben Maher appeared later with Diva II that the Irish lead seemed in doubt, but when the clock stopped he was still almost a second slower than Allen.

First place prize money of 22,400 euro went to the Wexford rider, while Maher collected 13,500 euro as runner-up.

Stockholm’s Grand Prix takes place on Sunday afternoon.

In the Netherlands, meanwhile, Bertram Allen’s 14 year-old brother Harry won two competitions back-to-back in the Children on Horses classes at Lichtenvoorde this weekend, riding his elder sibling’s former mount Wild Thing L.

Bertram Allen and Quiet Easy