BERTRAM Allen’s stellar 2014 performance was acknowledged by the Showjumpers Club at its annual Awards Ball on Saturday, with the 19-year-old being awarded the International Rider of the Year prize by his peers.

A crowd of more than 200 attended the awards ceremony in the Killashee House Hotel in Naas, where 22 awards were made to Irish show jumpers, owners, breeders and horses for their contribution to the sport.

Currently ranked 17th in the world, Allen’s monumental rise in the world rankings this year has been unprecedented, with numerous wins and placings around Europe and several high profile performances on the Nations Cup circuit. His most notable achievement was winning the five-star Grand Prix on home soil at the Dublin Horse Show in August.

In 2014, Allen steered the wonderful grey mare Molly Malone V to victory in the five-star Lummen Grand Prix, followed by the five-star Dublin Grand Prix and the FEI World Cup Grand Prix in Verona, Italy, as well as finishing seventh individually at the World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. For her impressive exploits, the striking grey by Kannan was named as the Horse of the Year.

The Showjumpers Club also inducted a new member to the Hall of Fame and for the first time this was an equine inductee as the great stallion Cruising was given the accolade. The McCann family’s great horse has been one of the most influential horses in Irish breeding and continues to add value to the Irish Sport Horse industry.

Having passed away earlier this year, his is a legend that will live on for many years thanks to his many wins on the international circuit and his contribution to the Irish Nations Cup teams during the 1990s.

Elsewhere on the international scene, Darragh Kenny was presented with a Special Achievement Award for his various successes this season, including as part of the Irish Nations Cup squad. The young Offaly rider experienced a string of international wins with various horses in both America and Europe.

For their results at the European Championships, the Irish pony show jumping team of Michael Pender, Sean Monaghan, Susan Fitzpatrick and Grace McHugh were announced as the Team of the Year, having secured a silver medal at Millstreet.

In the older age categories, Noelle Barry and Jonathan Gordon were named Junior of the Year and Young Rider of the Year respectively as they finished highest individually in their respective divisions.

On the national front, a new National Champion was crowned, the honour going to Greg Broderick. Having won the TRM/Horseware National Grand Prix League for the previous two years, Broderick had another season to remember as he claimed the TRM/Horseware Premier Series. His main horse, MHS Going Global, was named as the Leading Horse in the series, while the Broderick family were also presented with a Special Achievement Award for their contribution to the sport horse industry.

Broderick’s National Grand Prix league crown was handed on to Kilkenny’s Vincent Byrne. Byrne is another rider who has had a steep climb to the top and this was his biggest accolade to date. Along with taking the league, his main mount, Mr Rockefeller, claimed the Leading Horse title.

The season began with the HSI/Connolly’s Red Mills Spring Tour and this was won for the third time in a row by the seemingly unbeatable Daniel Coyle and Linzi Johnston’s wonder mare Uptown Girl.

At the end of the season, another rider successfully defended a league title, with Alexander Butler taking the GAIN/Alltech Autumn Grand Prix League for the second year in a row.

For the first time there was a National Young Rider of the Year award and this was won by Mayo’s Cormac Hanley at the National Young Rider Championships in Ennis in August.

In the amateur division, Joanna Penfold won the Amateur Speed Championship, while Lorna Conroy was the National Amateur Champion.

The Groom of the Year was voted for by riders and fellow grooms and it was won by Thomas Brosnan who works at the Kennedy Equine Centre in Tralee. Also put to a vote was the Show of the Year and this was won by Ballyfoyle Gymkhana.

Chairman of the Showjumpers Club, Ronan Corrigan commented on the strength of the Irish show jumping industry: “2014 has been another fantastic year for show jumping and it has been highlighted by the successes of Bertram Allen, who remains a force to be reckoned with on the international scene. We had so many memorable moments this year, nationally and internationally that it goes to show that Ireland remains one of the main lynchpins in international show jumping.”

“Sadly this year we saw the demise of the legendary Cruising, but we are delighted to be able to acknowledge his contribution to the equine industry and to reward his breeder and owner, Mary McCann and her family,” he continued. “All in all, this has been another very successful year but we are sure that the successes of this year can be built on going forward to 2015.”

The Showjumpers Club organised HSI/Connolly’s Red Mills Spring Tour will get the 2015 Grand Prix season started on February 15th, 2015 at Kildare International EC.