Ireland's Bertram Allen won Thursday night's opening competition of the Longines FEI World Cup jumping final in Las Vegas, a one-round speed class.
Favourably drawn 32nd to jump in the 41-strong field, the 19-year-old Wexford rider shaved nearly a second off the 66.44 time of the joint-leaders, Jur Vrieling from The Netherlands (VDL Zirocco Blue) and France's Patrice Delaveau (Orient Express).
Riding the grey mare Molly Malone V, an 11-year-old by Kannan which is owed by his family’s Ballywalter Farms, Allen, who is acknowledged as a superb rider against the clock, was home clear in 65.45.
Next in, the 2014 winner, Germany's Daniel Deusser, recorded a faster time with Cornet d'Amout, 65.09, but was penalised four seconds for a fence down.
America's Rich Fellers came closest to knocking Allen off the top spot when clear in 66.11 with the Irish-bred stallion Flexible, a 19-year-old chestnut by Cruising.
At the post-competition press conference, Allen commented: “It was great to do well tonight and get the ball rolling. I didn’t want to take too much risk. I wanted to finish in the top five if I could.”
Earlier in the day, Britain's Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro received a standing ovation following their performance in the opening competition of the Reem Acra FEI world cup dressage final, the Grand Prix.
The defending champions were awarded a combined score from the seven judges of 85.414%. This left Dujardin over six marks ahead of The Netherlands' Edward Gal riding Glock's Undercover (79.057) with the host nation's Steffen Peters next best on Legolas (76.843).
