WELLINGTON, Fla.--Irish Olympian Bertram Allen won the three-star $140,000 Grand Prix over 45 entries as top U.S .riders continued to save their horses to peak this summer for the European tour and the World Championships.
Bertram Allen on Harley vd Bisschop (Photo by Sportfot)Riding his own Harley VD Bisschop, Bertram won this class for the second year in a row.
Over a course designed by Ana Catalina Harris Cruz of Mexico, 15 were clean, and, with one of those not going, 14 went in the jump-off.
Tokyo Olympics individual gold medalist Ben Maher of Great Britain on Faltic HB, eighth to go in the jump-off, chasing a time of 42.47 seconds set by Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands on Monaco, Maher set the new time to beat at 40.92 seconds.
Maher only started riding the stallion last October, and was double clear in the World Cup Grand Prix at the London International Horse Show in December before coming to Wellington.
“Thank you to Oakingham Stud for believing in me and giving him to me,” said Maher. “He had a great upbringing in his life and jumped up to the three-star level. He had a little bit of a break with COVID being in Europe, so he still just has to learn this next level and faster jump-offs, even though he’s 12. I was really happy with him today.”
THIS WAS the first time that Maher has really pushed Faltic HB for speed in a jump-off.
He had an unlucky four faults in last week’s five-star grand prix at WEF, and Maher decided to step him down to the three-star this week to keep him “mentally confident.”
Maher plans to use Faltic HB in the Nations Cup at WEF.
“It was a little bit scary jumping the double combination in the jump-off," said Maher. "I was full commitment and nearly bounced it, but in the end was just not quite fast enough. I thought Bertram’s jump-off was perfect, fluid, and much faster at the end of the course than I was able to do today.”
A few horses later, Brazilian Olympian Eduardo Pereira de Menezes on H5 Elvaro finished in 40.95 seconds, just three-hundredths of a second off Maher’s time, to eventually place third..
With the best position in the order, Allen was the last in the jump-off. and finished in 39.66 seconds for the win.
“For some reason or other, I don’t always get the nicest jump-offs on Harley,” said Allen. “I was just going to have my round, and if it all came off, I knew he could be fast enough, but I wasn’t going to force anything. And then right from the start, I caught one to two good, the double combination good, and just kept going from there.”
“My brother rode him at one or two shows at the end of last year, and he’s in Spain now with a lot of the other horses," said Allen. "He came out here to Wellington the first week, so I thought it would be nice for him to ride him and see how it’s done over here, because it’s different in Europe. It was a good experience for him, and obviously it didn’t do the horse any harm.”
“It’s great to be a winner anytime, but to do it two years in a row, and also last to go, is that little bit sweeter too,” he said.
GRACE DEBNEY rode Boheme de la Roque to yet another win, this time in the $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix, over 74 starters, 15 of which were clean to go to the jump-off.
Debney was clean in 39.20 seconds. Caelinn Leahy finished second in 39.35, and Ireland's Francis Derwin was third in 40.47.
Debney won Thursday’s $6,000 1.45m CSI3* and celebrated her 18th birthday on Friday.
“I think what sets Boheme de la Roque apart from my other horses is that I always have confidence in her," said Debney. "I know she’s looking to win, and she’s looking to clear the jumps and do everything she can for me. I think that’s what helps me the most is that I’m fighting for her, but so is she,” Debney said.
“We set a goal at the beginning of circuit that we really wanted to be competitive in the U25 division,” said Debney. “We decided to use ‘Boheme’ in all the U25 classes, because she really has been my most consistent horse this year.”
IN THE International Arena at the show grounds, Krysia Nelson, trained by Ralph Caristo, rode Cobham Park to win the $5,000 Adult Hunter Classic over 92 entries, 12 of which returned for the second round over the handy course.
“Today was kind of amazing,” said Nelson, who scored 85 and 83 for s totof of 168.. “I have only been able to ride since about two weeks ago because of a broken elbow.”
Nelson got the 112-year-old gelding as a 4-year-old.
“He is a game-on kind of guy,” she said. “He loves to jump and do his work, and when we are on it he is the easiest horse to just jump right on and gallop around a big atmosphere.”
Second was Meghan Knapic on Joker, less than a point behind Nelson for a finish worthy of 167.25, and Alison Stern on The Cardinal was third with 167 total points.
