The Winter Equestrian Festival’s (WEF) Week 6, sponsored by KASK, came to a close on Sunday with the final classics of World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week in the International Ring and the KASK CHF140,000 CSI3* Grand Prix on the grass Derby Field at Equestrian Village. Irish Olympian Bertram Allen and the speedy Emmylou topped a 10-horse jump-off in the day’s featured international class.
Ana Catalina Cruz Harris (MEX) designed a testing track for 44 horses. From the second half of the original order, Allen notched a clear round and returned to set an uncatchable pace over the short course.
Coming off a win earlier in the season in the Wellington Equestrian Realty CSI4* 1.45m with Emmylou, a 10-year-old Irish-bred mare (Cabachon x San Patrignano Mister), owned by Ballywalter Stables, Allen bested runner-up Cathleen Driscoll (USA) by nearly two seconds on Sunday. She rode Arome for owner Plain Bay Farm, and Canada’s Amy Millar rounded out the top three riding Truman for Millar Brooke Farm & Overlund. Another Canadian entry, Sam Walker, was 8th riding Nalu Quality.
“The jump-off went to plan,” said Allen of his blistering pace. “My horse is naturally very fast so I just tried to keep it as smooth as I could. Obviously, the jump-off was still big and there were quite a few faults in it, so I tried to get the right medium between going fast enough and keeping all the jumps up.”
When he crossed the final timers, Allen threw a fist to the sky and gave Emmylou the credit she was due. “She’s a special little horse; she tries so hard, so I get great satisfaction about having the result I did today.”
Allen got the ride on Emmylou, the previous mount of Norwegian rider Johan-Sebastian Gulliksen, early last year and set the KASK CSI3* Grand Prix as a goal this season. “This was her main goal and now we will evaluate where we go from here.”
Allen had his eye on Emmylou for nearly a year while she competed under the direction of Gulliksen and is pleased to finally have her as part of his string, noting, “She’s a lovely horse in the barn; she’s very relaxed and easy going, but when you really start jumping she lights up. I think she likes her job.”
Top five results: KASK CHF140,000 CSI3* Grand Prix
1. Bertram Allen (IRL) & Emmylou: 2013 Irish Sport Horse (Cabachon x San Patrignano Mister) Owner: Ballywalter Stables
2. Cathleen Driscoll (USA) & Arome: 2010 (Kheersik El Asrit x Emir XI) Owner: Plain Bay Farm
3. Amy Miller (CAN) & Truman: 2007 Selle Français (Kashmir Van ‘t Schuttersho x Arpad De Six Censes) Owner: Millar Brooke Farm & Overlund
4. Lillie Keenan (USA) & Agana van het Gerendal Z: 2011 Zangersheide (Aganix Du Seigneur x Topas) Owner: Chansonette Farm, LLC
5. David Blake (IRL) & Claude: 2012 Westphalian (Captain Jack 44 x Cefalo) Owner: Pine Hollow Farm
Full results here.
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