January 17, 2026 
Irish Olympian Bertram Allen was arrested in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, FL on Tuesday evening on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Allen, 30, was placed under arrest at 10:04 pm on January 13, 2026 after police were dispatched to a crash on Southern Blvd near the Turnpike entrance. According to the D.U.I Probable Cause Affidavit filed by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (agency report number 26-024698), Allen was reportedly coming from Okeechobee Steakhouse when he collided into the rear of a stopped vehicle. Allen was observed by the arresting officer to have “slurred speech,” “glassy watery eyes and odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage coming from his mouth area and breath,” as well as an “orbital sway” when standing, detailed the affidavit.
Roadside sobriety tests were performed at the scene of the accident and Allen was subsequently placed under arrest for DUI—unlawful blood alcohol level, causing damage to property or another person. Two breath samples conducted at the Breath Alcohol Testing center indicated blood alcohol levels of .228 and 0.242. The legal Blood Alcohol Content limit for drivers 21 and older in Florida is 0.08%.
No injuries were reported in the D.U.I Probable Cause Affidavit.
Allen has retained legal counsel by Julian M. Kessel, an attorney who specializes in felony, misdemeanor and DUI defense. He has filed, via his lawyer, a written plea of not guilty and requested a trial by a jury of his peers.
In criminal cases, an arrest represents an allegation, not a conviction. Allen is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“As of now, the Defense has not received any discovery in this case. Therefore, we cannot intelligently respond to the allegations made by the State of Florida,” said Kessel in response to Horse Network’s request for comment.
“Ultimately, Mr. Allen is an upstanding young man and he has plead not guilty to these charges. The Defense intends to fully investigate this matter and bring the truth to light. Likewise, we intend to defend Mr. Allen against any charge in which he is not guilty of committing.”
Ranked no. 58 in the world, Allen has made multiple championship appearances for Ireland, including the 2014 World Equestrian Games, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and 2022 World Championships. He finished third in the FEI Jumping World Cup Finals in 2015 and helped Team Ireland to a second place finish in the 2025 Longines League of Nations Final and first place finish at the 2017 European Championships.
Allen is currently competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL where he took second in the CSI3* Hermes 1.50m Classic on Saturday with Zero K.
This story was updated on January 20, 2026 at 3:40pm to include the statement from Allen’s lawyer, Julian M. Kessel.
