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WEXFORD’S Bertram Allen is Ireland’s only representative at this week’s Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Las Vegas, USA, which starts early on Friday morning (Irish time) and finishes on Sunday night.
Allen and his grey mare Molly Malone V will be amongst 41 of the world’s best human and equine athletes competing.
Allen, who is just 19, astonished pundits by winning the first ever World Cup Qualifier in which he had competed, at Verona in Italy late last year.
He followed this with another World Cup Qualifier victory at Bordeaux in France in February.
After a dazzling series of performances internationally, he is now ranked tenth in the world, and is one of the favourites to win the World Cup Final – with the promise of the trophy going to Ireland for the first time in its history.
Other attempts by Irish riders have resulted in runner-up places from Trevor Coyle and the legendary Cruising in 1999 and Jessica Kurten with Castle Forbes Libertina in 2006. Eddie Macken and Carrolls of Dundalk placed third in the World Cup Final in 1979.
Bertram Allen and Molly Malone face a daunting series of up to five world class courses over three days in the Mack Centre arena at Las Vegas, with the World Cup winner being announced after the final competition on Sunday night.
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SCHEDULE –Â SHOW JUMPINGÂ WORLD CUP FINAL, LAS VEGASÂ
•Live video is available for all competitions by subscription from www.feitv.org and starts ten minutes before each competition.
•Updates on scoring will be available via Team Ireland Equestrian’s Twitter feed @teamirleq and on Team Ireland Equestrian’s Facebook page here.Friday, April 17, 2015
3am (Irish time) Longines FEI World Cupâ„¢ Jumping Final I
Speed class, with seconds added for knockdownsSaturday, April 18, 2015
3am (Irish time) Longines FEI World Cupâ„¢ Jumping Final II
One round against the clock, and one jump-off which is also against the clock. Results are then converted into points which are carried into the third and last competitionSunday, April 19, 2015
8pm (Irish time) Longines FEI World Cupâ„¢ Jumping Final III
Two rounds of jumping over a Grand Prix course of fences between 1.50m and 1.60m in height. The top 30 horse-and-rider combinations are eligible to compete but only 20 go through to the second round. The leading rider after the first two competitions goes last, and starts on a zero score.•Total prize money for the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Final is €1.3m. The World Cup winner receives 750,000 euro.
•The defending champion is Germany’s Daniel Deusser (Cornet D’Amour).
•Ireland has never won the World Cup Final. Trevor Coyle and the legendary Cruising placed second in 1999 and Jessica Kurten with Castle Forbes Libertina in 2006 also finished as runners-up. Eddie Macken and Carrolls of Dundalk placed third in the World Cup Final in 1979.
TEENAGER BERTRAM ALLEN BIDS TO BECOME IRELAND’S FIRST EVER WORLD CUP WINNER
