Show Jumping - Bertram Allen Now World's No.5 Rider

Irish teenage show jumping sensation Bertram Allen has today broken through into the top five of the world's best riders, according to the official Longines FEI Jumping rankings just published for the month of May.

Wexford-born Allen originally cracked the top 20 late last year when a string of superlative performances brought him in at number 17.

Since then the 19 year-old's progress has been almost unstoppable, with victories and top five placings in the sport's premier competitions adding valuable points to his total, allowing him to overtake many of the world's most experienced riders and achieve the number five spot in the rankings for the first time.

Ireland now has nine riders placed in the world top 100, with Allen at number five, Denis Lynch at number 28, Darragh Kenny at number 37, Conor Swail at number 51, Shane Sweetnam in equal 71st, Cameron Hanley at equal 77th, Shane Breen in 88th, Kevin Babington at number 90, and Billy Twomey in 94th place.

Current leader in the Longines World Show Jumping rankings is Britain's Scott Brash, with Germany's Daniel Deusser in second place, the USA's Kent Farrington in third, and Switzerland's Steve Guerdat in fourth place.

The rankings are published by the world governing body for the sport, the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Over 2,000 international riders are monitored each month, and points are awarded for top performances at major shows.