THE first five-star international show jumping fixture since the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions saw Wexford’s Bertram Allen post a win in St Tropez, France yesterday (Friday).

Riding the nine-year-old gelding Lafayette Van Overis, Allen took the top prize of €6,350 in the 1.50m speed contest which attracted 54 starters.

Allen finished almost two seconds ahead of American runner-up Jessica Springsteen with Volage du Val Henry, while Brazil’s Yuri Mansur took third place with Casaktie.

Merveldt shines

Meanwhile in dressage, Ireland’s Anna Merveldt and Esporim shone to take fourth place overall in Friday’s CDI4* Grand Prix at Achleiten in Austria. Merveldt and Esporim produced a score of 69.544% when last to go of nine competitors.

The result comes just a week after Merveldt and Esporim scored another fourth-place finish in the FEI World Cup Dressage Freestyle To Music Grand Prix at Mariakalnok in Hungary (see page 102).

Victory in the competition went to Germany’s Isabel Werth and DSP Quantaz on a score of 78.152%.