VETERN businessman and father of Ireland’s leading show jumper, Bertram Allen, Bert Allen came in at number 26 on Ireland’s 2017 rich list published by the Sunday Independent last weekend.

Allen Snr is estimated to be worth €605 million, up a massive €130 million from the 2016 listings. The Allen family had two significant pay days in the last year.

In December 2015, the Allen family sold their 50% share in Slaney Food’s to Larry Goodman’s ABP for an undisclosed fee. Slaney Foods is a joint venture formed in 2000 between Linden Foods, a northern Irish meat processor, and the Allen family, the original founders of the Slaney company.

Meanwhile, in December 2016, Irish renewable energy group Gaelectric, where Allen is a main shareholder, sold Irish wind farms worth an estimated €400 million. In 2007, Bert Allen sold the Bewleys Hotel Group to Red Cow Inn boss Tom Moran in a deal reported to be worth almost €570 million.

His eldest son Bertram is the highest ranked Irish show jumper in the Longines Rankings, lying in 13th place, and is holding his own in business terms, earning over €500,000 for being part of the team that won the inaugural Global Champions League last season.

Bertram’s younger brother Harry (16) is beginning to make a name for himself on the international circuit, currently based with Bertram in Germany, while their sister April runs their yard and breeding operation, Ballywalter Farm in Germany.

Ballywalter are the owners of the high profile international show jumping stallions Romanov and Hector van D’Abdijhoeve, who have both represented Ireland at Nations Cup level, among others.

Denis O’Brien, owner of the Irish equine nutrition company Plusvital, appears at number four on the list and is worth €4.9 billion. Plusvital, which was established in 1975 and provides nutrition and care products to the global equine industry, acquired the genomic testing company Equinome in December 2015.

John Magnier, owner of the world famous Coolmore Stud, is listed in seventh place, estimated to be worth €2.2 billion. Magnier’s good friend and owner of National Hunt horses, J.P McManus, is two places behind at €2 billion, while Michael O'Leary, Ryanair boss and owner of Gigginstown House Stud is worth an estimated €1.1 billion, in 15th place.