5 July - CONTINUING his seemingly unstoppable run of victories, Wexford’s 19 year-old Bertram Allen tonight won the prestigious Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Paris, while Offaly’s Darragh Kenny claimed third place.
Allen also made history by being the youngest-ever rider to win a Global Champions Tour Grand Prix.
Allen and the 17 year-old Romanov collected 105,000 euro for their first place, while Kenny and Sans Soucis Z won 48,000 euro.
Only five combinations made it through two challenging rounds to the jump-off at the Champs-de-Mars showground in Paris from a starting field of 48, and it was Kenny who established the first clear round with Caroline Lloyd’s gelding Sans Soucis Z, but almost immediately Allen and Billy Twomey’s 17 year-old Romanov shaved just over two seconds off his fellow-countrman’s time.
Portugal’s Luciana Diniz also posted a clear jump-off round on Fit For Fun, but their time was not fast enough to catch Allen, and had to settle for the runner-up place.
Afterwards Allen said: “This is an amazing feeling, my first ever time on a Global Champions’ Tour podium. I have to pay tribute to my horse, who tried so hard over three tough rounds, and gave me the win.”
source: www.horsesportireland.ie
image: Bertram Allen (left) and Darragh Kenny on the podium in Paris