Bertram Allen returned to winning form at the five-star show in Lyon, France, on Sunday, collecting €7,500 for a victory in the Prix Rio Moquette speed class.
Allen, who currently holds seventh place in the world show jumping rankings, piloted Quainton Stud's 11-year-old gelding Quiet Easy, and though eighth to jump in a 35-strong field, set a scorching pace that few of the following combinations could challenge.
Nearest was Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson with the grey stallion Clarimo ASK, whose runner-up time was a fifth of a second slower than Allen's, while the world's top-ranked show jumper, Britain's Scott Brash, was just over half a second off the Irish rider's pace, to settle for third place with the chestnut gelding Hello Forever.
Allen later in the day brought out Ballywalter Farms's now famous grey mare Molly Malone for the big Longines FEI World Cup competition at Lyon, but an unfortunate single first round mistake left them on four faults, to finish just outside the top ten in 11th place overall. Only seven combinations made it to the jump-off, with victory eventually going to France's Penelope Leprevost and Flora de Mariposa.
Meanwhile, Marion Hughes won today's Grand Prix at Mijas in Spain with Team Z7's bay gelding Can Ya Makan.
Bubbling under with the horse in recent weeks on the Mediterranean circuit, Hughes finally broke through today for a €6,000 payday, beating Britain's Anna Edwards and Blazer B by just under half a second in the two star event.
In Sweden, Limerick's Shane Carey had a second place in the two star Helsingborg Grand Prix this evening, riding Patrick Müller's mare Contenance. The Irish rider lost out to local star Tom Krog and Zacramento by over two seconds in the ten horse jump-off.
