Nineteen years ago, Flexible hit the ground and Bertram Allen was born, both in Ireland. Who would have thought they’d meet in Las Vegas and finish one-two in the speed leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Final?

People ooh and aah over Allen’s precociousness at the tender age of 19—a rider just a few years off ponies and already taking the world by storm.

They’re just as astounded by Flexible, as his 19 years is a lifetime more in equine terms. By all accounts, “Flexi” should be retired, but he jumped on legs that looked 10 years younger in the World Cup speed leg with Rich Fellers aboard to finish just half a second slower than Allen and mare Molly Malone.

“Good Golly Miss Molly” blared from the sound system after Allen shaved almost a full second off the current leading time when he went in as 32^nd of 40 to start. Frenchman Patrice Delaveau and Dutchman Jur Vrieling had been leading the class tied on 66.44 seconds, but Allen just obliterated that time without looking like he was trying too hard.

Allen might be just 19 and might ride like he’s 40, but he looks 12 when he’s not in the saddle. He’s a humble, soft-spoken teenager and he’s competing in just his first World Cup Final after placing second in the extremely competitive Western European League to qualify.

“I knew I was going to try and win the class, but for it to come off doesn’t happen every time,” Allen said. “I’m very happy with my horse, she jumped super. The atmosphere in ring was something different and she took to it very well.”

And then Flexi bounced in. The crowd cheered to meet him, then hushed as he started bounding over the jumps. As they were halfway through and looked as if they were just cruising easily, the current of excitement started to sizzle in the arena. The crowd roared as they stopped the timers just half a second off Allen’s pace.

Rich Fellers on Flexible. Photo by Ann Glavan

Irish Phenoms

Allen is Irish-born and -bred but has been based in Germany with Marcus Ehning for three years, honing his craft and running his own yard. He jumped in the European Young Riders Championships in 2010, ’12 and ’13, then debuted on the senior Irish team for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games—where he also won the speed leg (and eventually finished seventh individually with Molly Malone V).

Allen wasn’t sure how things would go, today, however, when he swung a leg over the 11-year-old mare this morning. “She’s quite a strong character. She has her own special ways,” Allen said. “This morning when I rode her in the arena, she was running away with me. I was wondering, ‘What am I going to do?’ But when I got on her in the practice ring tonight, she was a different horse again. And then she came in the ring tonight and she was perfect. She knows how to light up for the ring.”

She’s not the only one. Fellers said he felt the Irish-bred stallion Flexible puff up when he trotted into the ring and heard the crowd cheering for him. “I think the crowd took four or five years off his age,” Fellers joked. “Flexible just loves big, enthusiastic crowds. They give him energy. I felt his back rise up and off we went.

“I thought my worst jump was my first jump. We were both a bit excited in the turn there; I kind of saw two options there to the first fence and ended up adding [a stride] and then after that it was really quite smooth. Everything came up really the way I wanted and he just jumped like he always jumps,” Fellers said.

But earlier in the week, Fellers wasn’t even sure “Flexi” would be able to jump. The stallion colicked on Tuesday, April 14, for the first time in the 13 years Fellers has been caring for him.

“It was a bit of a scare, but fortunately, I have a very sharp groom and she noticed right away and grabbed [U.S. team veterinarian] Tim Ober. They did a great job and got it sorted out. I wouldn’t have shown him if he didn’t feel right. He really feels great,” he continued.

Fellers admitted that he’d never seen Flexi in such pain, but with Ober’s guidance the colic was resolved with minimal intervention.

It was just three years ago that the press was going crazy over Flexible’s remarkable win in the Rolex FEI World Cup Final in s’Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands—the first U.S. title in the World Cup for 25 years. He was 16 then, which seemed like an impossible achievement. But Fellers says he feels as good as ever now. 

Fellers for sure is flying the U.S. flag in second place in the standings, but the other U.S. riders aren’t too far out of the hunt. McLain Ward had a round on Rothchild that stopped the timers quicker than Allen or Fellers, but he also had a light front rail at a liverpool oxer. He’s in 13^th place now.

“Obviously you want to start in a high place because then it gives you a little leeway, but I’ve won the first leg a bunch and then fallen by the wayside so I’ll try to do it the other way,” Ward said philosophically. “The horse performed very well. I just needed to take a moment longer there. I had a really good time and the plan went well. The horse is in good form hopefully he’ll keep working.”

He’s not the only one who was kept from the lead by a rail—last year’s World Cup winners, Daniel Deusser on Cornet d’Amour, had the fastest time of the night but sit in 10^th because of a rail.

The 2013 World Cup title holders, Beezie Madden and Simon, are in the top 15 with a quick round and a rail as well. “Simon felt great. He jumped fantastic and it was really my mistake at the last fence so I can’t blame him for that,” Madden said.

Wondering how the rest of the field did? Check out our round-by-round commentary on the action, As It Happens: 2015 Longines FEI World Cup Final Speed Leg.

See all the Chronicle’s coverage from the Longines FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final.

See complete results of the class.

And then there’s this… an infographic Chronicle writer Mollie Bailey put together as an illustration for our article Sure Things And Long Shots: The Chronicle Staff’s Picks 2015 World Cup Picks…