BERTRAM Allen landed the two-star Grand Prix in Sentower Park, Belgium, at his first show with the nine-year-old mare Madorada DW.

Previously produced in Ireland and internationally by Jason Foley, before being ridden briefly by Ellen Whitaker and Darragh Kenny, the Breemeersen Adorado-sired grey mare, owned by Ger O’Neill and Matteo Pelmglio, was competing at his first international show with Allen in the saddle.

In Sunday’s difficult two-star Grand Prix, they were best of just two double clears in the four-horse jump-off. Some 15 of the starting 44 did not manage to complete the 1.45m course. In the end, Allen came out on top when posting a jump-off time of 37.98 seconds, earning €6,350.

He beat Sweden’s Angelie von Essen and Daniel into second place (0/0 40.46.) Frenchman Robinson Maupiler has the fastest time of the class (35.31) but a fence down meant he had to settle for third place.

The week began well for Allen when he won Thursday’s 1.45m Table A aboard the Irish Sport Horse Classified. By Je T’Aime Flamenco, the eight-year-old was bred by Galway vet Philip McManus and is owned by Highfort Stud. The pair were the fastest of eight clears to win in 59.14 seconds. German eventing Olympic medallist Michael Jung was runner-up with Edo Sandra by just four hundredths of a second (59.18).

Allen’s other win of the weekend also came on Thursday, in the 1.35m two-phase aboard Calisto Blanc. The seven-year-old gelding, who recently joined Ballywalter Farm from Carl Hanley’s yard where he was piloted by Michael G. Duffy, was clear in 44.64 to take victory.

Harry second in St Lo

Meanwhile, Bertram’s younger brother Harry Allen (20) is in flying form of late and followed up a five-star Grand Prix runner-up placing with the same result at four-star level in St Lo, France.

Again riding the ultra-talented 10-year-old stallion Guinness, he produced one of just two clear rounds in the 1.55m jump-off, breaking the beam in 37.42 seconds to earn €19,000. Victory went to France’s Julien Epaillard and Billabong du Roumois (0/0 36.25).