WEXFORD brothers Bertram and Harry Allen enjoyed a tremendous weekend at the Global Champions Tour in Vienna, Austria, both winning a class and picking up a number of good placings.
Harry (15), who is fast following in the footsteps of his older brother Bertram, ranked 16th in the world, got off to a flying start in his very first senior FEI competition last Friday when storming to victory in the 1.30m CSI** Table A class aboard High Valley.
The nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, who has been ridden by Bertram and stable rider Jack Dodd in the past, posted a clear round in 54.11 to finish over two seconds faster than the runner-up, Britain’s Tess Carmichael and Unique III (56.59), handing Harry a winning debut at senior level.
The youngest Allen sibling also picked up a fourth place finish in the two-star 1.15m with Valentino V Z, a seven-year-old stallion by Verdi, who is owned by Allen’s Ballywalter Farms.
Not to be outdone by his brother, the unbeatable duo of Bertram and John Whitaker once again joined up in the penultimate leg of the Global Champions League and extended the lead of their team, Valkenswaard United, in the team championship with a scintillating win.
Valkenswaard United have netted €422,576 in prize money so far this season - not including the €4.5 million bonus to be split between the teams after the final in Doha this November.
Allen guided his loyal partner Romanov, the 18-year-old stallion by Heartbreaker, who travelled to Vienna especially for the league, to two clear rounds in a super quick jump off time of 64.03 seconds.
Whitaker, mounted on his Olympic horse Ornellaia, was another of just four riders who completed on a double clear round.
FOUR WINS
With zero faults in a time of 129.49 seconds, the pair – who are separated by 40 years in age - picked up the maximum 30 points and just over €60,000 in prize money for the win.
This was the fourth league win for Valkenswaard United, who were victorious in Miami Beach, Hamburg and Monaco, and Allen was part of the winning combination on all four occasions.
Rome Gladiators were the only other team today to achieve four clear rounds, with Laura Renwick on Bintang II and Jack Towell on Emilie de Diamant AS.
Their strong showing earned the team second place on the podium. Monaco Aces were looking strong but four faults from Leopold van Asten on VDL Groep Miss Untouchable hit their score and pushed them into third place.
The latest win puts Valkenswaard United on 309.5 points in the overall ranking but only 8.5 points ahead of Antwerp Diamonds on 301 points, the closest threat in the fiercely-contested team competition.
Antwerp Diamonds lost some ground in Vienna coming fourth with the total of eight faults - four each from Dutchman Harrie Smolders and new transfer Michael Whitaker (GBR).
The race to win the first ever €7.5 million league team competition comes to a head at the final Global Champions Tours event in Doha from November 3rd to 5th.
Elsewhere at the show, Bertram Allen recorded a fourth place finish in the Vienna Masters aboard Izzy By Picobello, while Tipperary’s Denis Lynch finished in eighth place with Campino.
Victory went to Harrie Smolders from The Netherlands with Don VHP Z.