Allen takes second place in Verona speed class

  • 8 November 2015, 01:14

IRELAND’S Bertram Allen came closest to scoring his first major win of the weekend at the five-star World Cup show in Verona, Italy tonight (Saturday), but was outpaced by Italy’s Emanuele Gaudiano and Cocoshynsky.

The Wexford-born rider brought out Ballywalter Farms’s bay gelding Belmonde after its month-long rest from international competition, and though setting a seemingly unbeatable time of 62.80 seconds when 13th to jump in an 18-strong field, had to settle for second place when, two riders later, the Italian star produced a heart-stopping time of 60.12 seconds on his Cornet Obolensky mare.

Gaudiano collected the first prize of 6,000 euro, while the 20 year-old Irishman picked up 5,000 euro for his runner-up place.

The two will do battle again on Sunday afternoon in the World Cup class, but on different horses. Gaudiano is in the advantageous position of being last to jump in a 40-strong start list on the grey stallion Caspar, while Allen will field Billy Twomey’s durable 17 year-old stallion Romanov in 38th place on the list.

Also taking part will be Mayo’s Cameron Hanley and the talented bay gelding Antello Z, who will compete earlier, scheduled 11th to jump.

Earlier today at the four-star show in Liege, Tipperary’s Shane Breen also took a second place with Acoustik Solo du Baloubet, losing out to Switzerland’s Niklaus Rutschi and Earl Prey’s Caro CH by just under two seconds.

Bertram Allen and Belmonde

Bertram Allen and Belmonde