EQUESTRIAN:IRELAND'S PONY riders won medals in two disciplines at the European Championships in Bishop Burton, Yorkshire, at the weekend with Bertram Allen celebrating his 15th birthday in style when claiming individual gold in show jumping.

On Friday, the Wexford rider and Ballywalter Farms’ 13-year-old mare were members of the Irish squad that took silver in the team event and a double clear yesterday saw them win gold ahead of the ex-Irish Sambo Lino which is now ridden by Belgium’s Julie de Pelsmaeker. The bronze medal went to the Netherlands’ Niels Knape on Maradonna.

“This was just a fantastic performance by Bertram,” said Horse Sport Ireland’s pony high-performance coach Ian Fearon. “He incurred no penalties at all throughout the entire weekend and his pony showed all the attributes needed to win a major championship. Bertram has been outstanding all year.”

Following a good week for her jockey brother Joseph at Galway, 15-year-old Sarah O’Brien won the individual bronze medal in eventing on Ice Cool Bailey.

The pair were lying in 13th position following dressage but with the addition of just .80 of a penalty for time on Saturday’s cross-country phase, they jumped to seventh. A clear round in yesterday’s show jumping leg saw O’Brien claim third place in the individual championship with her mother Anne Marie’s 14-year-old grey gelding on which Joseph took bronze last year in Belgium.

Marissa Braig won gold for Germany while silver went to Grace Walker, a member of the British squad that won team gold.