Allen caps off incredible Finals Day in Lanaken with gold medal

Harry Allen and Kumina Della Caccia celebrate winning the seven-year-old final at Lanaken

There was further success for Irish riders in the Seven-Year-Old final of the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Championships for Young Horses, with Co. Wexford’s Harry Allen taking home the gold medal with the Italian-bred mare Kumina Della Caccia after a thrilling 11-horse jump off that saw Co. Carlow’s Jason Foley also claim a top 10 finish with Mister Qerly Z.

Nine years after older brother Bertram claimed the same Championship victory with Barnike, it was Harry Allen who threw caution to the wind to claim Ireland’s second gold medal of the day when stopping the clock in a time of 35.30 seconds.

Coming to Lanaken on the back of some excellent international results this year at shows in Samorin (Slovakia), Chantilly (France), Aachen (Germany), Kronenberg (Netherlands), Bratislava (Slovakia) and Vejer De La Frontera (Spain), the world’s Number 183 ranked rider left nothing to chance when coming home 0.6 seconds faster than Germany’s Philip Rüpling and Casanina PS. Dutch rider Renee de Weert and Labantrix (KWPN) completed the podium line up.

Harry Allen and Kumina Della Caccia jumping to victory in the seven-year-old final at Lanaken

Speaking afterwards Allen said: “I’m not too sure of the plan for her now. She’s owned by American rider Adrienne Sterlinct and was sold in our Aloga Auction last year and Adrienne let me keep the ride on her. I think she’s an unbelievable horse, maybe the best seven-year-old I’ve ever ridden.”

This result makes the Allen brothers the first set of Irish brothers to both win the same final at the Breeding Championships in Lanaken, Belgium.