Bertram Allen stakes claim for Olympic place in Hamburg

As the selection deadline for the Olympic Games gets ever nearer, Wexford's Bertram Allen put himself and Molly Malone V right to the forefront for Ireland's individual place when winning Thursday's feature class at the five-star show in Hamburg.

Thirteen combinations progressed to the jump-off round of the 1.55m competition with four recording a second clear against the clock. Going fastest in 39.38 with the 12-year-old Kannan mare, which is owned by his family’s Ballywalter Farms, Allen won the sixth car of his career, a silver Mercedes-Benz C-Class 180 coupé.

Afterwards, the rider said: “I am thrilled with my win on Molly, she was brilliant over a big testing track and she is in top form. I knew it was going to be a really fast jump-off, so I said I’d go as fast as I felt comfortable with and today it was just fast enough.”

Usually based in the United States, Darragh Kenny is currently competing in Europe. This weekend he is jumping in Eindhoven, The Netherlands where he won Thursday’s 1.50m jump-off class on Blue Gate Farm’s nine-year-old Canto gelding Catuso.

At the Badminton horse trials in England, one of just six four-star events worldwide, Co Meath's Sarah Ennis was the best-placed Irish rider after Thursday's first session of dressage.

On a penalty score of 43.6, Ennis is lying seventh with her 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding BLM Diamond Delux as the all-conquering German, Michael Jung, the reigning Olympic champion, tops the leaderboard on 34.4 with La Biosthetique - Sam.

Thirty-eight combinations appeared before the ground jury yesterday among them Ireland's Camilla Speirs on Portersize Just A Jiff (49.9), Michael Ryan with Ballylynch Adventure (52.8) and Joseph Murphy on DHI Topstory (54.9). Murphy has a second horse in the competition and will be last into the dressage arena this afternoon with Sportsfield Othello.

Action over the Giuseppe della Chiesa-designed, 33-fence cross-country course takes place on Saturday and can be followed by using the BBC’s red button service.