Irish rider Bertram Allen has been nothing but unstoppable this past week at CSIO 5* La Baule, France. He won the highlight class of the day, the Derby sponsored by the Pays de la Loire and the Laiterie de Montaigu. The derby always thrills the audience and every year they come in their droves. Twenty-four combinations started the notoriously difficult derby track but six failed to complete it; not a surprising number for a course that always proves to be testing for both horse and rider. First to jump, and the winners from 2013, Patrice Delaveau and the extravagant Ornella Mail * HDC, had a very fast round but with eight faults it kept them out of contention to take the title for the second year in a row. In the end it was Bertram Allen who took the win, who kept a cool, leveled head as he went flat out around the course on Wild Thing L. He had one fence down but had a blistering quick time, which kept him ahead of the rest. After two wins already this week, the Irish phenomenon has had an exceptional weekend at La Baule, his first time competing at the event. William Whitaker repeated his performance from the derby in Lummen last week with the Irish horse Glenavadra Brilliant and took second place. Steve Guerdat, who had decided to use one of his Grand Prix mares , Nasa, completed the Top Three with 4 faults. Two years ago, after Patrice Delaveau won the La Baule Derby he went on to win the Grand Prix the following day, can Bertram Allen do the same ? We'll have to wait and see... Full Results Photo ©Equnews.fr
