Tipperary's Shane Breen on top of the world at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Cashel showjumper storms to victory
Showjumper Shane Breen brought the curtain down on a stunning week for Irish show jumpers on Sunday afternoon, recording the only double clear with BP Arctic Blue, from a starting field of 50, to win the Longines World Cup leg at the four-star show in Abu Dhabi.
Bertram Allen (twice), Philip McGuane, Jack Ryan and Niall Talbot were other green jackets to be triumphant around the world, ensuring Amhrán na bhFiann rang out on three continents.
And it might have been more, as Shane Sweetnam and Conor Swail were second and third respectively in four-and five-star Grands Prix in America.
It was a fantastic effort by Breen to round off a memorable week and the Cashel man showed all his experience to land the €80,000 first prize.
The top 13 progressed to the second round at the Al Forsan International Sports Resort but Breen and his 10-year-old gelding took it out of the hands of the opposition by repeating their first round accuracy to claim the €80,000 first prize.
It proved an excellent class for the Irish as Castledermot man, Mikey Pender, bagged fourth with the Hughes-bred-and-owned HHS Los Angeles (ISH).
David Simpson and Billy Fern also made the cut but finished with a dozen faults to finish 12th.
“I knew a lot of the fast combinations were to follow,” said Breen of his early start in the second round. “So my idea was just to stick to the plan. I had some doubts about the plank but it worked out. It was great”.