Breen Team Summer Round Up
From exciting results with promising young horses to Shane’s more seasoned winners bringing home tons of placings, the last few months have been very exciting for Breen Equestrian.
We began the summer season on our home grounds at the Hickstead Derby Meeting. Starting with a bang, ABC Cortana Cruise was hot out the gates with a win in the Grade C Championship. Shane also piloted 8-year-old Instrumental to win the 7&8YO Championship whilst Scarteen also picked up a 6th place in the 4* Derby Trial and 3rd in the 4* Masters Trophy. In the 5YO Championship, stable jockey Zoe Meighan piloted Z7 Pink Panther to 4th place and stablemate Z7 Bright Light to 5th. The future looks very exciting for the Z7 Young Horses!
We ended the show with a ceremony in the iconic main arena at Hickstead to retire our old friend Golden Hawk. Time was spent reminiscing on all the amazing memories and results this great stallion has achieved worldwide as well as the impact he’s had on Shane’s career as well as representing Irealnd on countless Nations Cups. We wish Golden Hawk a happy and healthy retirement.
Next location on the show calander took Shane, Ellen and Haya to LGCT Monaco. Shane and Haya jumped two electric rounds in the GCL for the Rome Gladiators to help the team to a well-deserved podium finish in 3rd place!
Back in England, Darcy Breen was jumping clear round after clear round with ‘Kunis’, owned by Lea Popely. The pairing’s consistency earned them a place on the British Children On Horses’ European squad where Darcy helped Team GB to a bronze medal as well as finishing 4th individually. Truly a European debut for the books and a day we will never forget!
Whilst Shane and Scarteen continued to impress with a 7th place in the 3* 1.45 at Ommen, Kaite headed to Arena UK with her team. Picking up some impressive results, she piloted BE Warnham to a triple clear in the Big Star Championship to come 6th.
Next stop was on British soil at the 2* show at Chard for both Katie and Shane. Katie and Z7 Bright Light posted a win in the 5YOs whilst Z7 Regal Don claimed 5th place in the 2* 1.35, but it was Champagne vh Bergerhof Z who was star of the show. Katie and ‘Champagne’ picked up 2nd and 5th in the 2* 1.30 classes and 5th in the 2* Accumulator. It was a Breen 1,2,3 in the 2* Grand Prix with Scott Brash taking the win on BE Reference Hello Vittoria, Shane and Haya slotting into 2nd and Scott taking 3rd on BE-owned Folie de Nantuel.
Sooner than we knew it, we were back at Hickstead for the Royal International Horse Show. Repeating her win from last year, Shane and Haya did the double by winning the Queens Elizabeth Cup for the second year in a row, proving to be best in the class against a very tough line up. Instrumental also took 3rd in the 7&8YO Final – this mare proving again and again how much of an exciting horse she is! Z7 Ipswich flew around the 5* 1.45 to take 7th place, yet again enjoying success on home ground. Cuick Star Kervec landed in the money in the Kings Cup, and progeny 6-year-old BE Warnham looks to follow in his sire’s hoofprints with a win in the Winter Novice with Katie.
Shane and Cuick Star Kervec were selected for the Irish team for the 5* Nations Cup alongside Jack Ryan, Mark Mcauley and Daniel Coyle. The whole Irish team delivered phenomenal performances to come 2nd in what was the last 5* Nations Cup at Hickstead. It’s been a pleasure to be on the team and couldn’t have asked for a better result.
5* Dublin was next and yet another show to remember. Cuick Star Kervec kicked off the show with a 6th in the 1.60 Sport Ireland Classic and didn’t touch a pole all week, always landing in the money. However, it was Z7 Ipswich who took the show by storm, flying in all the 5* speed classes to take home 2nd, 3rd and 5th.
Darcy and her string of ponies were back on flying form at the National Championships, winning 4 out og 5 classes. Pixie took 1st in the Style and Performace with Sahara close behind in 2nd place, whilst Kunis took 1st in the Children on Horses Team, Pixie took the win in the Maxi Pony Individuals and Sharah topped the Maxi Pony Teams classes. Congratulations Darcy!
Katie and Zoe headed to the Bolesworth Young Horse Championships and did not disappoint. Z7 Pink Panther and Zoe placed 5th in the 5yos, whilst Katie and BE Warnham took 9th out of 106 starters in the 6yos. BE Alcanatra was the star of the show, taking 2nd in the very fast 7YO Consultation class to showcase her class.
The Breen Team then headed to Chepstow where Katie and Champagne were back on top form, taking the win in the Small Tour Grand Prix. Shane and the uber-consistent 8YO Koh-I-Noor took 4th in the Small Tour as well as 8th in the Medium Tour, rounding their show off with 10th in the 8YO Grand Prix. 7YO Geniale Star Kervec, full sister to Cuick Star Kervec, continued her good form with a 10th place in the 1* 1.35 Grand Prix.
We rounded off our Summer season where we started – our favourite show at Hickstead! The young horses were all out in full force, with Zoe and BE Thiassi taking the win in the 5YO Final and Z7 Bright Light and Liam slotting into 3rd the first week, with Z7 Pink Panther taking 2nd in the 5YO Final the second week. Scarteen couldn’t be on better form, taking 2nd and 3rd in the 1.40 classes, ending the first week on a high with a win in the 1.40 Grand Prix with Shane.
What an incredible couple of months – a huge thanks goes out to our owners, team and sponsors who make it all possible!