BERTRAM Allen stormed to victory in last Saturday’s 1.55m Audi Prize at the five-star show at Indoor Brabant, in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, aboard Quainton Stud’s Quiet Easy 4.

One of the favourites in the 12-horse jump-off, the Wexford rider added yet another top-notch victory to his already impressive 2017 collection when he guided the 13-year-old gelding by Quidam’s Rubin around the jump-off track in 34.73 seconds, to collect €15,500. That time was almost two seconds faster than Italian runner-up Lorenzo de Luca and Halifax van het Kluizebos (0/0 36.46).

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch was the only other Irish rider competing at the five-star venue and he too made it through to the jump-off with Thomas Straumann’s Van Helsing. Lynch and the 10-year-old stallion went on to record a clear round in 44.06 seconds to finish in sixth place.

Commenting after his round, Allen said: “He is a fantastic horse, he really wins a lot. There are not many shows where he doesn’t win money.”

Allen was also in the money with a new horse to his string, EH Quick Nina. The 10-year-old chesnut mare, who is also sired by Quidam’s Rubin, was previously partnered by Dutchman Harrie Smolders and most recently by Allen’s younger brother, Harry.

Allen and EH Quick Nina claimed the runner-up spot in Friday’s 1.40m Table A class with a clear round in 56.97 seconds, before going on to finish third in Saturday’s 1.45m indoor derby. The combination faulted once to finish in 83.96.

“This was my first show with her [EH Quick Nina]. She was second in a class the day before and is a super, super horse,” Allen added.

In what was a successful day for the home riders, Leopold van Asten led a Dutch 1-2-3 when landing the €375,000 Rolex Grand Prix on Sunday, with 21-year-old Allen finishing in sixth place with Noel Delahunty’s Hector van d’Abdijhoeve.

Forty combinations started over the 1.60m track and just seven of those managed a clear round. The difficult track saw big names like Marcus Ehning and Ludger Beerbaum retire in the first round.

Against the clock, just three riders returned with another clear round, led by van Asten aboard VDL Groep Zidane N.O.P in 39.29.

Wout-Jan van der Schans was second with Capetown (0/0 40.51), ahead of Marc Houtzager and Sterrehof’s Calimero (0/0 41.11). A single pole down against the clock denied Allen a chance to repeat his win from 24 hours earlier, however he still finished in sixth place to collect almost €17,000, bringing his tally of prize money to over €35,000 for the weekend. This year marked the 50th anniversary of Indoor Brabant and along with that hallmark came the announcement that for the very first time, in 2018, Indoor Brabant will join the Rolex Grand Slam of show jumping alongside CHIO Aachen, CSIO Spruce Meadows “Masters” and CHI Geneva.