The success story continues as Bertram and Lafayette win the FEI $37,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m Classic at the Winter Equestrian Festival counting 70 riders.
Today's victory counts as the pair's third victory during the weeks in Wellington. A few weeks ago, the duo also landed two five star 1m45 wins. Bertram is happy about how the nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Kashmir van Schuttershof x Tauber van het Kapelhof) developes:
“He was very relaxed, and straight away won this easily. I wasn’t sure if I was going to go full speed, but because it was a two phase, I could see how he was feeling and he felt very good. He is so naturally fast. There were people doing more galloping or less strides, but I did not want to do that with him today. I thought I would do as good a round as I could, and see where that left us. Because he’s so fast, he was able to get out on top,” Bertram says.
Allen is two weeks away from the end of his first season at WEF, and will soon return to Europe with a talented string, saying, “They are all feeling good, and on good form. I have been planning for this week, and overall this has been a great trip for me and all the horses; they have progressed so well.”
Lafayette van Overis has been the ride of Allen’s since the summer of 2019, and he is eager to produce the horse further. “I put him up and down the levels a bit, but he is very comfortable at this 1.45m level,” he said. “My goal is to get him this competitive at 1.50m, and then we will see where he goes.
This week will be quiet busy for Bertram and his string of horses, with the 5* Palm Beach Masters starting tomorrow, in addition to the competitions at the 3* Winter Equestrian Festival. Quiet Easy & Lafayette will be competing at WEF, while Bertram will bring Gun Powder & Casper to the Palm Beach Masters.