Allen continues winning form in Florida

Wexford’s Bertram Allen continued his winning run at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida last Friday when he landed the five-star $37,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.45m class on board the nine-year-old Lafayette van Overis.

The one-round speed competition featured 67 starters but no other combination could catch the 24-year-old’s winning round of 63.61 seconds with the Ballywalter Stables-owned Kashmir van Schuttershof gelding.

Speaking after the win, Allen said: “He’s incredibly straight forward. I feel like he truly understands what we are trying to do out there. Ever since I got him, he has been impressing me. He wasn’t bought to be the best horse in the world or to jump five-star Grand Prix, but every question he’s asked he does it with ease and is very competitive.”

Allen took over the ride on Lafayette van Overis from Britain’s Joe Clee.

Allen is confident that Lafayette van Overis is a horse for the future and is continually impressed with the gelding’s speed, saying: “He’s naturally very fast but also very careful so you don’t ever have the feeling that you need to slow him down.

“This has been a great trip so far,” said Allen of his first time in Florida. “We are going to keep trying our best and hope there’s a little luck on our side.”

There was more Irish success when Kerry’s Capt Brian Cournane finished in a very respectable second place in the $401,000 Lugano Diamonds five-star Grand Prix, also at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, USA with the Irish Sport Horse mare Penelope Cruz.

Cournane and the 12-year-old mare produced one of just two double clear rounds, with the only other perfect performance coming from two-time US Olympic team gold medallist McLain Ward who took victory with his 2016 Olympic mount, HH Azur.

Offaly’s Darragh Kenny finished fourth with Romeo 88 while Daniel Coyle slotted into sixth place aboard Legacy.

The annual Irish Field Equestrian Awards were held on Monday at the K Club to honour the achievements of Irish riders across all equestrian disciplines.

Long-time journalist for The Irish Field Margie McLoone was given a special recognition award for her outstanding work as an equestrian journalist. McLoone covers the northern scene in her very popular View From Above column every week as well as covering the point-to-point, sport horse sales, eventing and showing scenes.

The leading show jumper award went to Offaly’s Darragh Kenny. The 31-year-old is currently ranked eighth in the Longines FEI show jumping world rankings.

Tipperary show jumper Max Wachman (16), was awarded leading junior show jumper of the year after his display at the FEI European Pony Championships at Strzegom, Poland, where he landed team and individual gold medals for Ireland.

Judy Reynolds won the dressage rider of the year award for the sixth consecutive year. Ranked 12th in the world, Reynolds enjoyed a spectacular year in 2019, and is the anchor on Ireland’s dressage team that qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Senior event rider of the year went to Galway’s Cathal Daniels (23). Daniels is ranked 11th in the world and claimed bronze at the 2019 European Championships at Luhmuhlen, Germany, with the Irish Sport Horse Rioghan Rua.

Chloe Fagan was the deserving winner of the junior event rider of the year award. The Co Westmeath native is a rising star of the Irish eventing world with successful outings at the 2019 Tattersalls International three-day eventing where she won the two-star Horseware Ireland CCIJ2* competition.

The 12 winners from throughout 2019 were presented with their Gain Star of the Month plaques, and Mikey Pender was announced as the overall star of the year.

A worthy winner of the Gain Star of the Year award, the 20-year-old Kildare show jumper had a year to remember in 2019. Some of his highlights included becoming the youngest ever winner of the Hickstead Derby and winning a pair of silver medals at the World Breeding Championships for Young Horses at Lanaken, Belgium.