Allen Wins German Junior Grand Prix

Sixteen year-old Bertram Allen continued his run of recent good form when winning the Junior Grand Prix at Hagen in Germany aboard the Dutch-bred mare Wild Thing L, which he co-owns with his trainer, Irish senior show jumper Billy Twomey.

Wexford native Allen, who is now based in Jessica Kurten's former yard at Westphalia in Germany, was one of 11 in the jump-off tonight, and saw off a strong challenge from German runner-up Laura Klaphake and Qualdandro, who stopped the clock just a tenth of a second slower than the Irish rider.

Afterwards Allen said: "You couldn't expect things like that, it was terrific to win. Wild Thing is our horse, we bought it with Billy Twomey and we have had good success so far. Yesterday she also jumped a clear round in the Junior Nations' Cup."

Allen is a former European Pony Gold Medal winner, and says he hopes to be selected for Ireland's Junior European show jumping squad in August.

Meanwhile, his mentor Billy Twomey had a clear first round at the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix at Cannes, France, tonight, but two fences down in the second round with Tinka's Serenade left him best of the Irish in 13th spot. The competition was won by Dutch rider Gerco Schrِder and Eurocommerce London in a three-way jump off for the 95,000 euro first prize.

In the three-star show at Comporta in Portugal, Kilkenny-born Marion Hughes had a sixth place today with the Irish Sport Horse Heritage HHS Fortuna, while her Portuguese husband Miguel Maria Bravo won the competition on another Irish Sport Horse, HHS Acorado.