NINETEEN-YEAR OLD Irish rider Bertram Allen sped to victory in the first round of the Longines FEI Show-jumping World Cup final this morning when he and Molly Malone defeated riders from 18 other nations with an unbeatable time of 65.45 seconds.
The Wexford teenager had a favourable draw for the one round Las Vegas speed class — jumping 32nd of 41– but he effortlessly shaved a second off the time of joint leaders Jur Vrieling from the Netherlands and France’s Patrice Delaveau.
None of the following nine riders were fast enough to catch the Irish rider, but veteran US rider Rich Fellers on Flexible — a 19-year old Irish Sport Horse — came within half a second of Allen.
However, Allen’s time remained unequalled at the end of the competition and he now goes forward into Saturday morning’s two-round second leg bearing the leader’s laurels as he bids to become the youngest World Cup final winner in 30 years, and the first Irish rider ever to take the trophy.
Just before today’s competition, Gorey native Allen said:
“I’ll be going out every day to win, but just how I’m going to do it I don’t exactly know yet!”
