BERTRAM Allen scored a four-star win at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida last week, the third week of the long-running show.

The Wexford Olympian won the $37,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty 1.45m riding Emmylou for owners Ballywalter Stables and Noel Delahunty Connaught Bloodstock.

From 50 starters over Peter Grant’s one-round speed track, Allen proved fastest of 18 clears with the 11-year-old mare by Billy Mexico, clocking 61.85 seconds.

They topped second-place finisher and USA Olympic team silver medallist Jessica Springsteen riding Naomi van het Keizershof who were just two seconds off the pace in 63.36 seconds, while Vanessa Hood (USA) and Cascalretto rounded out the podium in 63.51 seconds.

Allen was thrilled with his mare’s performance, commenting: “I was very early to go in fourth, so I was just going to go and give it my best shot. I have a very competitive horse and she gave a massive effort. She’s just fantastic and I knew that if I rode well that I could have a chance today.”

Allen’s partnership with the mare is still developing. “I started with her here last year,” said Allen about adding Emmylou, the previous mount of Norwegian rider Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen, to his string during the 2022 WEF season. “She’s really cool and she tries absolutely everything because she’s quite small and maybe does not have all the scope in the world. Sometimes she jumps classes bigger than she should be able to normally because she tries so hard and is brave. That makes it all possible.”

Sweetnam runner-up in Grand Prix

Cork’s Shane Sweetnam was on the podium in Saturday night’s $216,000 NetJets CSI4* Grand Prix in front of a packed house at Wellington International during “Saturday Night Lights”, won by Britain’s Olympic champion Ben Maher with Dallas Vegas Batilly.

It was a win that kicked off a big weekend for Maher who celebrated his 40th birthday with friends and family in Wellington on Sunday night. Course designer Peter Grant built a testing track for the 45 starters that started with a bang as five early clears promised a thrilling second round.

The code was cracked on his course by 14 advancing to a tie-breaking jump-off. Appearing halfway through the original order, Maher clocked his clear round aboard Dallas Vegas Batilly, a 10-year-old Selle Français mare (Cap Kennedy x L’arc Triomphe *bois Margo) owned by Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright.

Against the clock, Sweetnam had set the target aboard the 10-year-old gelding Namaste van het Eyckeveld, owned by Voquest LLC, when breaking the beam in 38.46 seconds. That was the aim when Maher returned to the ring and he beat it by one 10th of a second, crossing the finish line in 38.35 to take the win.

Sweetnam settled for second while USA’s Kent Farrington took third for the home nation riding Toulayna.

Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly have been partnered together for only four months. The mare was previously campaigned by France’s Nicolas Delmotte. “She’s taken some time to get used to me and my system.

“She’s jumped some great rounds and was clear in the Grand Prix in Geneva. But every time we come to the jump-off; we’ve had problems with the steering. She’s very sensitive, but the jump-off really suited me tonight,” continued Maher, who is currently ranked sixth on the FEI world rankings list.

“I could take strides out everywhere and tried to keep it smooth and trust her. I’ve learned I have to ask her to do things, not tell her. Everything worked and it certainly paid off this evening.”

Of his second-place finish, Sweetnam commented: “I rode my plan and I know my fellow has a really big stride, especially at the end of the course so I trusted that it was there, and he jumped it great. Obviously, it was not quick enough but I’m very happy with him.”

Derry’s Jordan Coyle made it through to the jump-off with Centriko Volo, eventually finishing eighth with four faults against the clock.

Kenny victory

Darragh Kenny ended the week on a high when winning Sunday’s four-star 1.50m jump-off class at the venue.

He rode Vlock Show Stables’ Chic Chic to the fastest of six clears in the 13-horse jump-off to claim victory in 37.59 seconds, ahead of USA’s Laura Kraut with Bisquetta (0/0 37.82). Tipperary’s Max Wachman finished fourth with Quintini in 38.42 seconds.

Max’s brother Tom had a successful week, finishing as the High Junior Champion. He won Saturday’s 1.40m junior class with the 10-year-old mare I’m Here and was second on Sunday in the same division’s 1.45.

Jonathan Corrigan finished fifth in Sunday’s $50,000 two-star Grand Prix. He was clear in the first round with Nadal VD Wateringhoeve, before picking up 25 faults against the clock. Victory went to Brazil’s Luciana Lossio with Lady Louise Jmen.