23 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 70
70
HORSEWEEK
FARMWEEK
MARCH 04 2021
Brilliant Bertram claims From the
top prize in ve-star
horse’s
Florida Grand Prix
mouth
A
stunning performance from
Wexford’s Bertram Allen and
the Irish Sport Horse ‘Pacino
Amiro’ saw them take victory
in last Saturday night’s
$401,000 Lugano Diamonds ve-star
Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian
Festival in Florida - adding to a string
of wins for Irish riders at the stateside
venue over the past few weeks.
Only ve combinations from the 40
starters made it through to the jumpoff, with three of those ve coming
from Ireland. The rst to return for
the jump-off were Co. Down’s Lorcan
Gallagher and ‘VDL Cartello’, owned
by Heathman Farm, LLC. They had
one fence down to nish in fth
place in 38.47 seconds. Immediately
following, Allen and the Aiden
McGrory-owned ‘Pacino Amiro’ sped
through the course in 35.32 seconds,
a time that couldn’t be caught by the
remaining three competitors.
“There was no real standard set
before I went in, because Lorcan
obviously had a fence down,” said
Allen, “and there were only three
coming after me, but they were
obviously three very, very good ones
on fast horses. I know my guy is fast,
and with only ve in it, the worst case
I was fth. I was going to give it a good
shot, and thankfully it came off.”
In a class stacked with Irishmen, it
was Daniel Coyle and Ariel Grange’s
‘Legacy’, an 11-year-old mare, who
came closest to Allen’s leading time.
They were clear in 37.11 seconds to
BY JACQUI PORTER
PRESENTATION: Bertram Allen and ‘Pacino Amiro’ in their winning presentation
with Craig Dickmann, Regional Director of Sales, East; and Melissa Brandes,
Director of Equestrian; of Lugano Diamonds. (FW09-525NN)
PICTURES: courtesy of Sportfot
nish in second place.
“Anything Bertram does in the jumpoff is usually hard to follow or catch,”
said Coyle. “I knew before I went in
that was going to be a challenge, so I
just stuck to my own plan and, if it was
good enough, great, and if not, there
will be lots more. It’s ‘Legacy’s’ rst
class under the lights this year, and I
always have huge, huge expectations
of her.”
WINNING ROUND: Bertram Allen and ‘Pacino Amiro’ on their way to winning
the $401,000 Lugano Diamonds five-star Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian
Festival in Florida. (FW09-523NN)
RUNNERS UP: Daniel Coyle and ‘Legacy’ were runners up in the $401,000
Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix in Florida. (FW09-524NN)
Mario Deslauriers (CAN) and
‘Bardolina 2’ were clear in 37.62
seconds for third place, just ahead
of Daniel Deusser (GER) and ‘Killer
Queen VDM’ with one fence down in
35.62 for fourth place.
Allen and ‘Pacino Amiro’, who led
the victory gallop during WEF 2 in the
Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup, were
riding in only their second ve-star
Grand Prix under the lights. It was an
impressive nish for the nine-year-old
Irish Sport Horse gelding by ‘Pacino’ x
‘NC Amiro’, who was also in the jumpoff during the WEF 5 ve-star Grand
Prix.
“The last Grand Prix I suppose I
was stepping into the unknown a
little bit with him,” admitted Allen.
“He had never jumped a ve star or
been under the lights, and he handled
it very well. Tonight, I was a bit more
condent that I knew that he could
do it, so I was just hoping that he
was going to be on form. He was even
better again tonight.”
Allen has been riding ‘Pacino Amiro’
since he was seven years old and
developed him as a young horse.
“He’s a little bit of a special character,
and I know him very, very well,” he
described. “Since week one he’s
gotten better and better, and he is a
lovely horse who wants to try his best
all the time and learn.”
BREEDING
Pacino Amiro (ISH) – 2012 gelding
by Pacino (BWP), out of Carnone
Dancing Queen (ISH) by NC Amiro
(AES). Breeder: Simon Scott, Co.
Donegal. Owner: Aiden McGrory.
Rider: Bertram Allen (IRL).
FINAL RESULTS
$401,000
Lugano
Diamonds
Grand Prix CSI5* - WEF Florida
27/02/2021: 1) Pacino Amiro: 2012
Irish Sport Horse gelding by Pacino x
NC Amiro. Bertram Allen (IRL), Aiden
McGregory: 0/0/35.32; 2) Legacy: 2010
Zangersheide mare by Chippendale
Z x Bon Ami. Daniel Coyle (IRL),
Ariel Grange: 0/0/37.11; 3) Bardolina
2: 2009 Holsteiner mare by Clarimo
x Landos. Mario Deslauriers (CAN),
Wishing Well Farm LLC: 0/0/37.62; 4)
Killer Queen VDM: 2010 BWP mare by
Eldorado Vd Zeshoek x Derly Chin De
Muze. Daniel Deusser (GER), Stephex
Stables: 0/4/35.62; 5) VDL Cartello:
2007 Holsteiner stallion by Carani
x Lord. Lorcan Gallagher (IRL),
Heathman Farm, LLC: 0/4/38.47.
USEFUL: A Pelham can be a useful bit for a strong horse going
cross-country that tends to stick his head up and not look to the
fence. (FW09-500NN)
Explaining the action of
leverage or curb bits
LEVERAGE or Curb bits have
wide variations within the
group,
from
long-shanked
western styles to the Weymouth
in a double bridle, the Pelham
and the misnamed Dutch
Gag. Leverage bits employ
pressures across the lower jaw
and tongue, the poll and, if a
curb chain or strap is tted,
it also applies pressure to the
curb groove.
The curb chain acts on a nerve
that runs under the jaw and,
combined with the action of
the mouthpiece, encourages
relaxation and exion of the jaw,
and retraction of the nose. Any
bit with long shanks - Weymouth,
Pelham, Dutch Gag, Elevator bits
- employ a leverage effect with
pressure on the poll and across
the lower jaw, with the level of
force getting stronger the longer
the shanks are.
Anita Marchesani from the Bit
Bank Australia explains how a
curb or leverage bit works: “A
good way to understand how a
curb/ leverage bit works is to
imagine you need to change a
at tyre. You try to loosen the
nuts with your ngers (direct
pressure, like a snafe), but the
nuts won’t budge. So you go and
grab your tyre iron - the added
length of the iron increases
the pressure through leverage
force, and the nuts loosen. You
haven’t gotten any stronger, but
the length of the iron increases
the pressure applied on the nut.
“This is what happens with
leverage bits as well. To try it
out for yourself, take a Pelham
bit or a Weymouth and pop your
foot in between the mouthpiece
and the curb chain, as if it was
the horse’s lower jaw. Now take
up the reins and see how little
you need to move your hands to
get a big result on your foot!”
Leverage or curb bits are
generally a bit that asks for head
lowering and can be useful with
horses that tend to travel with
the head up or strung out. The
Weymouth bit in a double
bridle helps rene and dene
the head carriage and overall
collection. A Pelham can be a
useful bit for a strong horse
going cross-country that tends
to stick his head up and not look
to the fence.
Contrary to popular belief,
the Dutch Gag is not a gag, but
really works as a leverage bit,
employing sometimes severe
pressure and force across the
lower jaw, thus creating a head
lowering effect. Ideally, a Dutch
gag of the three or four-ring
variety would be ridden with
two reins (one on the snafe,
and one on the leverage rings) to
prevent over-bending and give
relief to the horse from constant
pressure.
This is how a leverage bit
works, by giving the rider
additional power through the
rein aids. It can mean a more
subtle, harmonious ride if used
by the rider with thought and
care, or it can lead to the horse
backing off the bit completely,
or rolling and tucking the nose
under to evade the pressure if
not.
Jacqui Porter BSc (Hons) BAEDT
EQUINE DENTAL SERVICES
Tel: 07395 830535
Email: jpdentistry@icloud.com