WHILE his older brother Bertram was busy winning two classes (and three cars) in Sweden, 14-year-old Harry Allen was making a name for himself at the pony and young rider show at Lichtenvoorde in The Netherlands.

The teenager sports an uncanny resemblance to the riding style of his older brother, who won a 1.45m Grand Prix at this venue in 2014. Harry Allen managed to score back-to-back wins at the Dutch venue last weekend in the 1.20m children on horses competitions (for riders 14 years and under).

Beginning last Friday evening, he piloted his big brother’s former ride, Wild Thing L to victory in the jump-off class at Lichtenvoorde. From the start-list of 17 riders, just two managed to jump double clear rounds, with Allen’s time a full five seconds faster than Belgian runner-up Emilia Housen.

Harry Allen added his second win in 24 hours last Saturday. Once again he was riding Wild Thing L, a 12-year-old mare by Montreux out of a Lux Z dam. The two-phase contest saw 11 horses and riders race against the clock and despite four of those managing to go clear again in the second phase, none could match the young Wexford riders effort. He crossed the line clear in 26.38 with Wild Thing, this time pushing Dutch rider Collin Zwartjens into second.

The large group of Irish pony and young riders who travelled to Holland certainly made a big impression.

Three Irish riders finished in the top 10 of the 1.15m speed class last Sunday. Tyrone Flanagan grabbed third spot with Cullagh Lass, while Patrick Hickey and New Forge Lady finished seventh, just ahead of Abbie Sweetnam and Dynamite Spartacus (ISH) in eighth.

Grace McHugh featured in the prizes in last Sunday’s 1.40m Grand Prix for junior riders, coming home in 12th place aboard Alonso N. The pony Grand Prix saw Tyrone Flanagan take eighth place for Ireland with Talyas Diamond Link. The competition was won by Adam Carey who rides for Sweden and whose father Kieran Carey comes from Kilkenny.

The 1.25m pony team competition saw Ireland enter three full teams of four, with two of those finishing in the top 10. The quartet of Jodie Giles (Whos DJ), Kate Derwin (Vales Blue Melody), Jason Foley (Lynncot Fancy Pants) and Harry Allen (Aughnashammer), finished on a zero total, however their combined time wasn’t fast enough to see them through to the jump-off and took fifth place overall.

A second Irish team of Harry Allen (Acapella Z), Abbie Sweetnam (Dynamite Spartacus), Tyrone Flanagan (Cullagh Lass) and Emer Kavanagh (Rock of Dawn), finished sixth on a four fault first round total. The competition was won by Belgium ahead of a combined team from Norway and France.