Bertram Allen (equestrian) explained

Bertram Allen
Birth Date:1 August 1995
Website:http://www.bertram-allen.com/
Sport:Show jumping
Show-Medals:yes
Team:Valkenswaard United

Bertram Allen (born 1 August 1995) is an Irish show jumping rider.[1] Originally from Wexford, he has won international medals at the pony, junior, and senior level. He won the opening round of the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy at age 19, receiving international recognition.[2] Allen is the youngest winner of a Grand Prix on the Longines Global Champions Tour, and was a team gold medalist at the 2017 European Championship in Gothenburg.[3]

He runs his Ballywalter Stables in Hünxe with his sister, April, who manages the operation. Allen has been based in Germany since 2011.[4]

Early life and career

Allen and his six siblings grew up with a strong equestrian influence, since their father owned and developed racehorses. Allen began riding at a local stable, and soon began competing. He then trained with Mag and Con Power; the helped him join Billy Twomey, who has influenced Allen's career.

He had successfully competed on ponies, winning every championship at the Dublin Horse Show and individual gold and team silver medals at the European Championships on Bishop Burton in the pony jumper classes in 2010. Allen competed on horses as a juniors, winning a team gold medal with Wild Thing L in 2012 and an individual silver medal with Molly Malone V in 2013.[5] Twomey found Allen's early horses, Romanov, Molly Malone V and Wild Thing L, on whom he was successful.

At age 15, Allen moved to Hünxe. He rode his first senior competitions at age 17, where he jumped a double clear round in his first Nations Cup.[6] Allen was introduced to Marcus Ehning (whose stable is 20 minutes away from Allen's) around this time, and Ehning became Allen's trainer.[7]

Professional career

Allen was successful early on the senior international level. At age 18 he won the opening speed round of the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, finishing seventh overall. Allen finished third overall at the World Cup Jumping Finals in Las Vegas; both were on Molly Malone V. He won the 2014 Dublin Grand Prix on Molly Malone V, and was a member of the Irish Nations Cup team at Dublin (on Romanov) which won the Aga Khan Trophy.[8] Allen is also the youngest rider to win a 5* Grand Prix on the Global Champions Tour, in Paris in 2015.

Allen was not chosen for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.[9] At the 2015 London International Horse Show, Allen was disqualified due to the "blood rule" when he drew blood from excessive use of spurs.[10]

He was on the gold medal-winning Irish team at the 2017 European Championships with Hector van d'Abdijhoeve, despite a fall during the competition.[11] Allen won the 5* Grand Prix in St. Gallen on Hector van d'Abdijhoeve, in addition to 5* wins in Doha, Mexico City, Hamburg, Helsinki, Olympia London Olympia and at the Dutch Masters. In 2018, he rode for the Global Champions League team Valkenswaard United, placing second in the league playoffs.[12] Allen purchased Harley vd Bisschop (a stallion formerly ridden by Nicola Philippaerts) in October of that year, selling Hector van d'Abdijhoeve ro Denis Lynch in January 2019.[13] [14] He and GK Caspar won the World Cup Qualifier at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, and had several wins in 2020 before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, he was selected as Ireland's travelling reserve for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. A week before the games, Allen had to rescind his place after his mount, Pacino Amiro sustained a minor injury.[15]

Major results

!Year!Place!Horse!Event!Rating!Show!Location
20201GK CasperWEF Challenge CupCSI4*Winter Equestrian FestivalWellington, Florida
20191GK CasperToronto World Cup QualifierCSI4*-WThe Royal Toronto
20191GK Casper1.55m SpeedCSI5*LGCT DohaDoha, Qatar
20181Harley vd BisschopGCL PlayoffsCSI5*LGCT PraguePrague
20181Gin Chin van het LindenhofLongines Trophy Grand PrixCSI4*Jumping Indoor MaastrichtMaastricht
20182Molly Malone VLGCT Grand Prix of ParisCSI5*LGCT ParisParis
20183Hector van d'AbdijhoeveRolex Grand Prix of RomeCSI5*Rome Piazza di SienaRome
20171Gin Chin van het LindenhofChristmas Tree Stakes 1.55mCSI5*-WLondon OlympiaLondon
20171Gin Chin van het LindenhofSweden Grand PrixCSI4*Sweden International Horse ShowStockholm
2017GoldHector van d'AbdijhoeveEuropean ChampionshipsCH-EUEuropean ChampionshipsGothenburg
20171Izzy by PicobelloAnglesea Serpentine Stakes 1.55mCSIO5*Dublin Horse ShowDublin
20161Molly Malone VSweden Grand Prix CSI4*Sweden International Horse ShowStockholm
20153Molly Malone VFEI World Cup Jumping FinalsWCWorld Cup Finals Las Vegas
20151Romanov Bordeaux World Cup QualifierCSI5*-WJumping International of BordeauxBordeaux
20151RomanovLGCT Grand Prix of ParisCSI5*LGCT ParisParis
20151Molly Malone VGrand Prix of DinardCSI5*DinardDinard
20147Molly Malone VWorld Equestrian Games - IndividualWEGWorld Equestrian GamesNormandy

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bertram Allen. fei.org . 4 September 2017.
  2. Web site: Walsh. Dan. Bertram Allen announces Molly's retirement WexfordToday.com. 2020-06-06. Wexford Today. en-US.
  3. Web site: Bertram Allen - LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR. 2020-06-06. www.globalchampionstour.com.
  4. Web site: AS. Norgesdesign AS / AMC Media Production. ABOUT - Bertram Allen. 2020-06-06. www.bertram-allen.com. en.
  5. Web site: FEI Database - Bertram Allen. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131030021009/https://data.fei.org/Person/Performance.aspx?p=F4914227F3A9BEED0D3AB25CEE0235A3 . 2013-10-30 .
  6. Web site: 2016-02-11. Worls Class Portrait: Bertram Allen. 2020-06-15. Equilife World. en-US.
  7. Web site: 2016-08-04. Rider profile: Bertram Allen. 2020-06-15. HQ Magazine. en-ZA.
  8. Web site: 'I knew who was making the decision so it wasn't any big surprise to me' - Bertram Allen on Olympics omission. 2020-06-15. independent. en.
  9. Web site: Jackson. Lorraine. 2016-06-08. Meanwhile in Ireland, Bertram Allen Won't Compete at these Olympics. 2020-06-15. Jumper Nation. en-US.
  10. Web site: Breunlich . Bettina . 2015-12-22 . Kurioser Grand Prix Sieg für Michael Whitaker nach Disqualifikation von Bertram Allen . 2024-05-27 . Equestrian Worldwide Pferdesport weltweit EQWO.net . de-DE.
  11. Web site: Contributor. 2017-08-26. Long time coming: Ireland leaps to European jumping champs victory. 2020-06-15. Horsetalk.co.nz. en-US.
  12. Web site: Results of Bertram Allen - GCL. 2020-06-15. www.globalchampionsleague.com. en.
  13. Web site: H&M Haeley V/D Bisschop and Nicola's Ways Part .... 2020-06-15. Equnews International. en.
  14. Web site: Showjumping. www worldofshowjumping com, World of. Bertram Allen's Hector van d'Abdijhoeve to Denis Lynch World of Showjumping. 2020-06-15. www.worldofshowjumping.com. en-US.
  15. Web site: Bertram Allen misses out on 2024 Olympics as Pacino Amiro sustains minor injury . 2024-07-24 . World of Showjumping . en-US.