Bertram Allen and Qonquest de Rigo produced a consistently strong performance throughout the FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany, helping Ireland secure an important qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Photo Therese Alhaug
Competing among a field of 145 combinations, Allen and his partner Qonquest de Rigo opened their World Championship with a superb clear round in the opening speed competition.
The pair continued to deliver throughout the championship, finishing the week with just two fences down across all their rounds, securing an 35th place overall in the individual standings.
The Irish team also made a strong start to the championship. After the opening competition, Ireland sat just one pole away from the medal positions, with a score of 7.69 points.
The team progressed through to the all-important final, but faced a significant challenge when Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue had to withdraw after the horse was not quite right on the day. This left Ireland with just three combinations for the final round, meaning there was no discard score and every fence would count.
The remaining three riders – Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz (ISH), Cian O’Connor and Chatolinue PS, and Bertram Allen and Qonquest de Rigo – showed great determination under pressure. Each combination finished the final round with just one fence down, securing a strong seventh-place finish for Ireland.
Most importantly, the result earned Ireland the all-important qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The Irish team was composed of:
- Shane Sweetnam & James Kann Cruz
- Cian O’Connor & Chatolinue PS
- Bertram Allen & Qonquest de Rigo
- Darragh Kenny & Eddy Blue
with Jessica Kürten as Chef d’Equipe.
For Allen, the Aachen World Championships marked another solid championship performance, with Qonquest de Rigo jumping consistently throughout the week and the pair finishing among the top 35 combinations in a highly competitive field of 145.
Qonquest de Rigo once again demonstrated his consistency and reliability at the highest level, and further establishing himself as a true championship horse.