WHEN Ireland's top-ranked rider Bertram Allen puts his foot in the irons to mount one of his new horses – GK Casper – spectators are effectively seeing the coming together of two of the most powerful forces in modern European show jumping – and they are both young Irish men.

The talented GK Casper was bought by Wexford’s Allen (19) from Galway’s Enda Carroll who runs Ashford Farms in Belgium, fast becoming one of the most respected sport horse operations in the business.