Sensational win for young Irishman Allen as French top early team standings
In a sensational start to the Jumping Championships at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy today, Ireland’s teenage star Bertram Allen won the opening speed leg with a brilliant performance from Molly Malone V. The 19-year-old, who hails from County Wexford, but who is based in Munster, Germany and is coached by German ace Marcus Ehning, set a super-fast target when 40th to go in the field of 153 starters. And despite their best efforts, the world’s leading riders simply couldn’t match the time achieved by the young Irishman and his lovely grey mare.
Written by By Louise Parkes
French rider Patrice Delaveau lined up second with Orient Express HDC, securing pole position for the host country in the team rankings going into tomorrow’s second test, while Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet and Conrad de Hus finished third ahead of America’s Beezie Madden on Cortes C. Click here for an audio clip with Patrice Delaveau provided courtesy of FEI
The top-10 after today’s opening competition reads like a “who’s who” of the sport, with 2011 FEI European champion Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (SWE) filling fifth with Casall Ask, world number 9 Penelope Leprevost from France in sixth with Flora de Mariposa, and this year’s Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping champions, Daniel Deusser and Cornet D’Amour from Germany, slotting into seventh place.
Lying eighth individually is Canadian phenomenon and 10-time Olympian Ian Millar who, at 67 years of age, is almost 50 years older than today’s winner. The man affectionately and respectfully knows as “Captain Canada” cruised into the top-10 line-up with consummate ease riding the 11-year-old Dixon, a horse with a pedigree connected to his legendary partner Big Ben.
Lying ninth is Sweden’s Peder Fredricson, team silver medallist at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, while The Netherlands’ Jeroen Dubbeldam, individual champion at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, is well placed in 10th.
First clear round
Irishman Darragh Kenny produced the first clear over Frederic Cottier’s course when second into the arena with Imothep. But the 14-fence track would prove a significant test, with many horses more than impressed by the Norman theme that included a model of Mont St Michel, a herd of sheep grazing in a meadow, cartloads of fresh apples and even a bottle of French wine that adorned the space between the optional elements of the double at fence eight. This proved a pivotal point on the course, with a number of refusals and falls.
In total, 10 horse-and-rider combinations failed to make it around the track, which began with an oxer followed by a line of vertical to oxer to oxer before a bending line to a most unusual wall. Its rock-like face came as something of a surprise to many horses, as did the river-filler below the following oxer which led on to the open 3.80m open water.
The majority of riders selected the right-side faster route over the double of planks at fence eight instead of the poles to the left. Next was a vertical going away from the in-gate, and a stop and fall here for Brazil’s Doda de Miranda when AD Rahmannshof’s Bogeno ducked out to the left, drew gasps of disbelief from the crowd.
A double, vertical to oxer, at 10 was followed on a left-circle by a narrow oxer at 11 and this too took its toll when riders were attempting to make up time towards the end of the track with four seconds added for every fence on the floor. The narrow vertical at 12 then led to the final line of a double, oxer to vertical, and a final oxer.
More than 50 horses took their turn before Delaveau came closest to Allen’s time, and there were only 13 left to run when Wathelet moved into third while Madden clinched her fourth-place finish when second-last into the ring.
Rising star
Allen’s ride was perfection, but there was still a lot of head-shaking at the end of the day because, although his star has been rising for quite some time, his appearance at the top of the individual order at the end of this first world championship contest was generally unexpected. Except by the Irish who have been watching this extraordinarily talented young man making his way through the sport for a number of years now.
Despite his tender years he has a lot of experience under his belt, and his form in recent months includes a brilliant victory in the Longines Grand Prix at Dublin Horse Show just a few weeks ago. And of course he’d given warning of his intent when consistently successful at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 test event earlier in the summer.
Category: International, News, Results, Show Jumping
