IRELAND’S Bertram Allen scored another five-star podium finish, when he took runner-up spot in the feature 1.55m speed class at the World Cup show in Verona last Saturday. Allen was riding the nine-year-old gelding Belmonde and took the lead when 13th to jump, posting a time of 62.80 seconds.

Italian rider Emanuele Gaudiano produced a breath-taking round with the Cornet Obolensky mare Cocoshynsky to collect the winners’ prize of €6,000, while the 20 year-old Wexford-born Irishman picked up €5,000 for his runner-up place.

Allen and Belmonde, who is by the sire Ovidius out of a Kenwood dam, had also finished in the prizes the previous day in Verona, taking sixth place in a 1.45m speed class which was once again won by Gaudiano this time riding Farao Of Heritage.

Allen later scored a ninth place finish in a 1.55m jump-off class aboard Romanov behind American winner Jessica Springsteen and Davendy S.

Allen also partnered Romanov in last Sunday’s fourth round of the FEI World Cup series where he was hoping to repeat the performance which saw him win his first ever World Cup at the same venue 12 months earlier with Molly Malone V.

However two fences down in the opening round ended Allen’s hopes with the 17-year-old chesnut stallion, while fellow Irish rider Cameron Hanley retired in the opening round with Antello Z.

French domination of this year’s World Cup series continued in Verona, with Simon Delestre adding to a double of wins for compatriot Penelope Leprevost at Oslo and Lyon.

Delestre was in sensational form with the 10-year-old gelding Hermes Ryan, coming out on top after a thrilling 15-horse jump-off against the clock.

German superstar Ludger Beerbaum (Chaman) and British World No 1 Scott Brash (Hello M’Lady), had tied for the lead at the halfway stage after breaking the beam in exactly the same time. At the end of the memorable competition, they eventually had to settle for joint-third place when overtaken by Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann (Cantinero) in runner-up spot and Delestre with his chesnut gelding by Hugo Gesmeray who came out on top.

It was a day when many promising young horses really rose to the challenge posted by Italian course designer by Italian Uliano Vezzani. Max Kuhner’s eight-year-old grey stallion, Chardonnay, found the key to the track that included a testing triple combination at fence six and a difficult line from the triple-bar at eight to the following double.

TARGET

A son of Clarimo, Chardonnay was clear once again for the Austrian rider in the jump-off, setting the target when sixth to go in a time of 47.84 seconds.

Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson broke the beam in 38.89 with Unita ASK to go well into the lead, only to be immediately overtaken by Dutchman Maikel Van Der Vleuten and the ever-reliable VDL Groep Verdi who were half a second quicker.

However it was the man who claimed the coveted FEI World Cup jumping trophy for Germany for the very first time back in 1993 who really set the competition alight, Ludger Beerbaum steering Chaman home in 37.83 to throw the gauntlet down to the rest of the field.

World No 1, Scott Brash then produced a brilliant turn to the third fence with the nine-year-old Hello M’Lady and galloped down to the last, but the crowd gasped with amazement when the clock showed exactly the same time as it did for Beerbaum. The prospect of joint-winners seemed very much on the cards, but Delestre had other ideas about that. The Frenchman and Hermes Ryan (by Hugo Gesmeray out of a dam by Ryon d’Anz) crossed the line well over a second faster (36.46) than Beerbaum and Brash, in the fastest clear round of the day. Sweden’s Henrik Von Eckermann and Cantinero produced a super effort when second last to go, their time of 36.72 would see them finish as runners-up.

Delestre explained afterwards that he was determined not to push Hermes Ryan too hard. “He is a small horse with a lot of scope so that always gives you an advantage against the clock. I decided I would just try to be fast without going crazy,” while second placed Von Eckermann was left to rue what might have been. “Maybe I could have done one less (stride) to the last,” he said.

Delestre has taken over at the top of the World Cup leaderboard, ousting his compatriot, Penelope Leprevost, who has won two legs of the series so far.

The fifth leg of the series will take place in Stuttgart, Germany next Sunday, November 22nd, with Cameron Hanley and Denis Lynch flying the flag for Ireland.