WEXFORD’S Bertram Allen was best of the Irish in Sunday’s feature class at the Longines Global Champions Tour of Vienna, the 1.60m Longines GCT Grand Prix, which saw a start list of 40 including some of the best-known names in international show jumping. Twelve combinations jumped clear in the first round to secure their place in the jump-off, with only five going on to keep all the poles standing in round two. Allen and the nine-year-old gelding Qonquest de Rigo were among the double clears and their jump-off time of 42.31 was good enough to secure them a podium place and the third prize of €46,290. The top prize of €101,838 went to Germany’s Philip Weishaupt on Kilmister, who stopped the clock in 40.85, which was over a second ahead of Harrie Smolders (NED) on Monaco, who took second place in 41.96.

Gilles Thomas (BEL) still leads the overall league standings after leg 13 on a score of 261, with Germany’s Christian Kukuk lying second on 206. Denis Lynch is the highest-placed Irish rider at present on 137.2.