Brian Hennessy

BERTRAM Allen said he was “completely shocked’’ and “could not believe it” when he found out he had been disqualified after winning the €100,000 Grand Prix at London’s Olympia on Monday night.

Allen had posted an incredible clear round with his horse Quiet Easy 4 and finished the competition well ahead of his nearest challenger, Britain’s Michael Whitaker (see international report A63).

Speaking this week to The Irish Field, a devastated Allen said: “My horse jumped absolutely brilliant. When we came out and were going through the boot check, the steward noticed a mark on my horse’s side and rubbed it and there was a tiny smudge. The steward took a photo and wiped the horse’s side. After a while another steward came down and it all looked fine. I thought everything would be grand.”

Allen (20) described what happened next.

“They never actually told me I was disqualified, I was waiting for the prize-giving and they announced Michael (Whitaker) as the winner, I was shocked and just couldn’t believe it. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.

“The welfare of my horses is absolutely paramount to me and I think everyone I know would agree with that. I have a great relationship with my horses. I think the officials knew they had made a mistake later on that night but it was too late to change,” said Allen.

The organisers of Olympia Horse Show issued a statement in the early hours of Tuesday morning which read: “Bertram Allen was disqualified by the Ground Jury under Article 242.3.1 of the FEI jumping rules when the FEI Steward tasked with the mandatory post-competition boot and bandage control reported to the ground jury that Allen’s horse, Quiet Easy, had presented with blood on the offside (right) flank.”

An appeal was lodged by Allen and the horse’s owner Emma Phillips from Quainton Stud, however the appeal committee, which was presided over by Britain’s Val Turner, upheld the decision of the ground jury.

RIDER REACTION

The news of Allen’s disqualification provoked outrage around the globe, with fans and fellow riders voicing their anger at the decision, particularly when a photo was posted online showing what appeared to be only the tiniest of marks on Quiet Easy’s side.

German superstar Ludger Beerbaum, who stood to gain from Bertram’s elimination, moving up to third place, said: “I’m not happy about the final result this evening. Bertram and his horse were the best combination in this class and they deserved to win. I had to put my glasses on to see where the tiny mark was.”

Cian O’Connor, who was competing in the class alongside Allen at Olympia, said: “A general consensus among the top riders here is that the FEI rule needs to be reviewed regarding mandatory disqualification and in my view, over-zealous stewarding by one particular steward compounded by the apathetic actions of the foreign judge and president of the ground jury here, led to bringing the sport and this great show into the spotlight for the wrong reasons.”

Mayo’s Cameron Hanley added: “Bertram is a really great kid, I really feel for him and his whole team as he was robbed of his Grand Prix victory. More worryingly I think it’s a bad direction for the sport to go in. I know Bertram and how he cares for his horses and as with most of us riders how he puts the horses’ well-being and care in front of our own.”

Britain’s Geoff Billington pulled no punches in his comments: “A razor blade is a very safe object until you give it to a monkey, it’s like giving a steward that knows f*ck all about horsemanship a badge. Surely discretion is the better part of valor! Bertram Allen could not kick his way out of a bag made from rice paper. He is absolute poetry in motion. Bertram, tonight you won the Grand Prix in absolute style, it was beautifully to watch.”

Following the prize-giving, a clearly unhappy Michael Whitaker handed Bertram Allen the winner’s rosette. Whitaker said: “Bertram was probably very hard done-by. I would have preferred to have won it in the ring but I suppose rules are rules and everyone has got to abide by them, but I couldn’t see much wrong.”

Allen’s groom, Marlen Schannwell, one of the most highly regarded in the sport, added: “Good to see Quiet Easy is still alive after losing 0,0000001ml of blood and 0,01mm of his skin tonight. If that is fair sport, how will you be able to compete with a chesnut or thin skinned horse?”

Allen meanwhile was keen to show his gratitude to all those who had rallied around him in recent days, telling The Irish Field: “The support I have received from fellow riders and fans has been massive and I want to thank everyone for that. I am back home in Ireland for Christmas and taking a break before going to some more World Cup shows in January.”

Meanwhile, at the time of going to print, a facebook page called “Stand Up For Bertram” had received over 7,000 followers in the space of just three days.

THE RULE

Bertram Allen’s horse was disqualified under FEI rule 242.3.1, which states - Mandatory Disqualification - (‘Horses bleeding on the flank(s), in the mouth or nose or marks indicating excessive use of spurs or of the whip anywhere on the Horse’).

The rule in question does not state the amount of blood or type of injury need to disqualify a rider. Technically, if a horse was bitten by a horsefly who drew blood, or had an old cut and a scab fell off showing some blood, the rider can be disqualified if the ground jury wish to do so.

When contacted this week by The Irish Field and asked if a veterinary surgeon was called at any stage to examine Quiet Easy, no response was forthcoming from Olympia Horse Show by time of going to press.

A69: Bertram Allen launches All Ireland Interschools