Bertram Allen takes on exciting new ride
Young Irish showjumper Bertram Allen has a new ride, the Quainton Stud’s 11-year-old chestnut gelding Quiet Easy 4. But the horse almost died of colic at the end of last year, before he’d even arrived at 19-year-old Bertram’s base in Germany.
Owner Emma Phillips of the Quainton Stud in Buckinghamshire had jumped at the chance to have the teenage Irish sensation in the saddle.
“The first time I saw Bertram ride was watching the King George V Cup [at Hickstead, where he finished runner-up] last summer. I knew then he would be the perfect partner for my horse,” Emma told H&H. “He [Quiet Easy] has been a winner for everyone that has ridden him and he has a special place in my heart.”
Bertram was invited to try Quiet Easy while he was competing at Horse of the Year Show and “they were magical together”, according to Emma.
However, the day before the gelding was shipped to Bertram’s yard, he suffered a serious bout of colic.
“I rushed him to Rossdales in Newmarket where he was operated on. He spent the following three weeks in and out of intensive care — we nearly lost him,” said Emma.
The new partnership finally made their debut at the CSI5* at ’s-Hertogenbosch earlier this month (13-15 March), finishing third in a speed class. This was Quiet Easy’s first time in the ring since surgery.
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The gelding, by Quidams Rubin, has previously been competed by British riders Ben Maher and Chloe Aston, and was campaigned for much of last year by Sweden’s Angelica Augustsson.
“It was very emotional for me when I got the call he was clear and jumping well,” said Emma. “I am so very grateful to all the vets who worked on him.”
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.