Ph. Sweden Horse Show
Ireland’s Bertram Allen won Sunday’s Sweden Grand Prix CSI4* at the Sweden International Horse Show in Stockholm aboard Quiet Easy, marking the pair’s second big victory of the weekend.
Allen who was at the reins of the Quainton Stud-owned 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Quidam’s Rubin x Zapateado) with whom he’s had such success with this year, spent his Saturday already in winning form with Quiet Easy. Ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix, the pair took first place in the CSI4* rated 1.50m speed class, a slightly unusual preparation for the following day’s Grand Prix.
“I was actually a little worried ahead of today’s Grand Prix,” 20-year-old Allen said. “I did not know if it was so good to prepare for the Grand Prix with jumping on Quiet Easy and galloping on as I did yesterday. But my horse was even better today.”
A jumpoff of six included three Swedish riders, but the closest threat came from Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, who tacked up a relatively new ride in Apsara. The 9-year-old Holsteiner mare (Ephebe For Ever x Calido I) is owned by Michaels-Beerbaum’s sponsor Artemis Farms, and she began stepping the mare up the CSI5* level this year.
But whether it was Apsara’s greenness or simply the unbeatable speed of Allen at the reins when he’s on form, Michaels-Beerbaum couldn’t catch Ireland’s best rider in the jumpoff. Her time of 47.89 seconds was lost in the dust when Allen crossed the timers in 45.19 seconds. Finland’s Geir Guiliksen placed 3rd with Violet D, and Johan Lundh was Sweden’s best rider for 4th place aboard Miebello.
Allen’s haul for the weekend –in addition to the prize money– included three new Volkswagon vehicles. Two of which were prizes for his class wins and the third for being leading international rider of the show. Next week it can be counted on that Allen’s stable in Germany will be a happy, and newly flashy, place when he returns home with his fleet of talented horses and a trio of new cars.