The first week in Wellington started the best way possible for Bertram and his speedy partner Quiet Easy, who won the CSI4* 1.40 class, counting 80 horse and rider combinations.
Quiet Easy has been one of Bertram’s most successful horses from earlier years before he was sold to Norway a few years ago. After two years abroad the gelding just recently got back to Ballywalter Farms to be reunited with Bertram Allen.
Bertram said:”I really like him, and I’ve known him for a long time. This was one of my first classes back with him, and he’s really fresh, so it’s lovely to have him back. The owner didn’t have so much for him to do, so they said they’d send him back to me if I could retire him when he was finished. He’s nearing the end of his career now, so it’s nice to just enjoy him.”
Bertram continued his winning streak in Wellington, winning the CSI4* “Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup Round 4” class of 54 on Ballywalter Stables’ GK Casper and making it two wins from two starts in two days on the tour.
Eight combinations made it through to the jump-off over course designer Anderson Lima’s (BRA) testing track. All eight jumped clear in the second round, so it all came down to speed to determine the finishing order. Bertram, who had the benefit of being last to go, broke the beam in 39.00 seconds, with home rider Natalie Dean and Marigold Sporthorses LLC’s Jewel De Kwakenbeek nipping at their heels in a time of 39.02 seconds.
Bertram said: “He’s a good horse and very, very careful so you can really ride him at the jumps and normally he doesn’t have too many down. I wanted to win this class, but it wasn’t a class to take a crazy stupid risk in, so I said I’d just do as good as I can. It was very close, but thankfully it was good enough for today.”
Casper is no stranger to North America. At his last visit in 2019 the duo won the World Cup class in Toronto.
Bertram has ridden the 12-year-old gelding by Canto 16 since he was six;
“We know each other inside out. He’s taken a bit longer to get to the top level, but he seems to be getting there now. He’s a cheeky bugger but he’s bold and he knows he’s good and has a big character, which is nice.”
