CELEBRATING equestrian excellence is the raison d’etre for our annual Irish Horse World Awards and on Monday, two truly gifted riders achieved yet another milestone in their already hugely impressive careers in the saddle.

A full house from the Irish equestrian world turned out on Monday to witness Wexford show jumper Bertram Allen (21) and Kildare dressage rider Judy Reynolds (36) each achieve a consecutive hat-trick, scooping the top awards in their separate disciplines once again. Each gave a short acceptance speech and what struck everyone in the room was their quiet modesty coupled with their absolute dedication to the horses in their care and their craft.