SIXTEEN year-old Bertram Allen clocked up his first ever Junior Grand Prix win at Hengelo in the Netherlands this afternoon (Sunday), riding Billy Twomey's bay mare Wild Thing L.

The Wexford-born rider, who is currently based in Germany, said afterwards: "I'm delighted. It's a great way to finish off the year and set the horse up for 2012, when I hope to be doing a few one and two-star shows."

Allen's age means that next year he will have moved permanently out of pony show jumping and into Junior level, but this allows him to jump at senior shows up to two-star ranking.

In 2010 Allen won the Individual Gold Medal at the European Pony Show Jumping Championships in England as well being a Team Silver Medallist. In 2011 he was European Pony Show Jumping Silver Medallist in both individual and team competition at Jaszkowo in Poland.

His win today brings Ireland's weekend international tally to four victories, with Denis Lynch on Saturday finishing first in the two phase competition at the five-star show in Paris with Night Train, Billy Twomey claiming the coveted Rolex Top ten Final trophy at the same venue on Friday night with Tinka's Serenade and Shane Sweetnam winning the main jump-off class at Wellington in Florida with the bay gelding Little Emir, also on Friday.

Shane Carey came close to making it five victories when he finished second in the two-star Grand Prix at Salzburg Austria today (Sunday) with Ronnoco Jump's mare Trebox Acorada, beaten by a tenth of a second in the jump-off by Britain's George Whitaker and Tubana.

In the World Cup Grand Prix at Wellington in Florida on Saturday, Ireland's Richie Moloney took seventh place on the Irish-bred Slieveanorra, with the USA's Margie Engle claiming the trophy with the grey stallion Indigo.

At the two-star show in Manerbio, Italy, Ireland's Niall Talbot took third place on Sunday with Nicos de la Cense, yielding victory to Switzerland's Claudia Gisler and Touchable.

In the CSI2* show at Paris, Trevor Coyle took fifth place in the Grand Prix with Bijou van de Vijfheide on a double clear round, with France's Aymeric de Ponnat winning on Armitages Boy
BREEDING:
•Slieveanorra (ISH) – 2002 chestnut gelding by Voltaire (HANN) out of Creevagh Quaich (ISH), by Flagmount Diamond (ID C1). Bred by Ronnie Hollinger, Creevagh House, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan. Owner: Equinimity LLC & Diana Mercer. Rider: Richard Moloney (IRL)
 

Bertram Allen