The Breen team take control
Breen Equestrian pepper the top results across the board while equine stars of the future take centre stage at this hugely popular show
DESPITE opposition from all over Britain, the final day of this incredibly popular show belonged to the team from Breen Equestrian. After wins for his stable jockeys in both the five- and six-year-old grands prix, Shane Breen gave a masterclass of turning against the clock to take the top two places in the area trial.
Then, to finish off his fantastic day, Shane jumped a superb round on the flying chestnut Acoustik Solo Du Baloubet to head a strong
field in the 1.35m two-phase.
The winning run for Shane’s “dream team” began when 17-year-old Scott Dollemore proved way too quick for his rivals in the five-year-old final. When Nicole Pavitt (Verdis Mexico) couldn’t catch Chantelle N’Jie on Hannes, it looked as though the title would go to Chantelle, a business owner from Dover. But in came Scott on Be Caprivi to jump one of the rounds of the show and take the title by almost three seconds.
Be Caprivi, by Shane’s former ride Balloon, was bred in the Ukraine and arrived in Britain earlier this year. Scott, who started working for the team in September 2016, competed him for the first time at Hickstead’s Derby meeting, when they qualified for the five-year-old final.
“He’s honest, straightforward and really careful. He’s not very tall, but he has a long stride and rides much bigger,” assessed Scott.
Although they lost out at the last moment, Chantelle N’Jie could not have been happier with Hannes, whom she got unbroken and has produced slowly.
“He's only five, but he’s already my horse of a lifetime,” she said.
Nicole Pavitt was equally pleased with Verdis Mexico, a son of Billy Mexico, who has very little experience.
“He’s really green and his body needs to catch up with his brain, but he’s got it all,” she said.
The five-year-old final took place over Matt Hoskins’ good
course in the Fred arena and at the same time in the adjacent Paris arena, Georgia Tame was making it a double for the Breen stable. After one of those jump-offs where riders go faster and faster, Georgia triumphed on a brand new ride, Z Seven Caretina.
This daughter of Coltaire Z was second in the five-year-old final at last year’s World Breeding Championships for Ireland’s Michael Pender and Georgia was competing at only her second show with the mare.
“She’s really cool. I knew she could go fast, as to finish anywhere in Lanaken you have to. She’s so careful: all I had to do was point and kick,” said Georgia, 19.
Another young rider, 16-yearold India Bussey, jumped two great rounds to finish in a narrow second place on Billy Coleman, a son of Cevin Z owned in partnership with his breeder William Funnell.
“He’s a lovely horse. He’s like a little terrier in the ring,” said India’s mother Louise.
Third place for Michael Fursedonn and the big, scopey Nonstop mare Nirvana Vant Vossenhof Z — who were also among five pairs to jump treble clears in the previous day’s qualifier for the Big Star sixyear-old final at the national championships — was some consolation for just missing out earlier in the show.
“We had the fastest time in the newcomers second round with the last fence down,” explained Michael. “I can’t be disappointed with her though. She’ll now have time in the field.”
A SUPER FAST JUMP-OFF
MORE young stars were on display in the newcomers second round, where 21 of a huge field chased the two Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) places against the clock in round three.
It was an incredibly fast jump-off. Jay Halim must have thought he had done enough from ninth draw on Aragon Z, but the next pair in, 16-year-old Joe Fernyhough and Calcourt Quicktime, shaved 0.04 of a second from Jay’s time.
These two clung on to the qualification spots until the end of the jump-off. Nicole Pavitt took over the lead from 18th draw with a fantastic clear on the inexperienced seven-year-old HC Cornet, then another local rider, Georgie Crumley, somehow managed to go even faster to take the top ticket with Old Lodge’s six-year-old home-bred stallion Khaled OL. Their round included a turn into an enormous double off barely a stride, which Georgie and Khaled made look simple.
Khaled has the credentials to do well at HOYS. He is by the former grade C champion Super Trooper De Ness out of Hussah TN (aka Tia Semilly), who took the newcomers title in 2014 under Nicole Pavitt and was also jumping here with Nicole in the major classes.
“The last time I qualified for this final was in 2010, so it will be lovely to be back,” said Georgie. “This is one of the nicest six-year-olds I’ve ever ridden. He has a great attitude and makes everything feel so easy.”
Nicole was equally delighted with HC Cornet, a German-bred son of Colestus she started riding in April for Portugal-based owner Tamara Czartoryska.
“I think a lot of him and he’s never gone against the clock before, so he’s probably a bit shellshocked. But when my other two rides jumped treble clears and were only lying fifth and sixth, I knew I had to do something special,” Nicole explained.
HUGE ENTRIES
THOUGH this show was billed as a young horse festival, the number of horses entered approached the 1,000 mark by the end of four days. The major classes included some top combinations, as proved by Tuesday’s area trial field.
Keith Bristow built a technical course for the 35 starters and the tough track and tight time made clears hard to come by. Six made the jump-off, which Shane Breen opened on Golden Hawk.
The 12-year-old Vigo D’Arsouilles stallion has been on five-star Nations Cup duty for the Irish team and looked as though he appreciated a slightly easier test. They never wasted an inch en route to a time that none of their rivals could match.
Laura Mantel and Liz Howes’ Glory B V had already won Sunday’s 1.40m class. Back at their favourite venue, they jumped a brave round to finish just 0.21 of a second behind. But Laura had to settle for third when Shane’s second ride, Brian Cassidy’s CFS Vendi Cruz, slotted into second with a smooth clear.
Shane’s next outing will be at Knokke in Belgium before he returns to Hickstead for the Royal International.
“I think I’ll be fifth man for the Irish team there,” he said.
Shane was pleased with second-placed Vendi Cruz, on whom he also won the previous day’s 1.45m class.
“She’s a nice mare and is progressing well. I’m going to jump her in the three-star grand prix in Knokke, which will show us how good she really is,” he said.
Brian Cassidy is enjoying watching his nine-year-old Ars Vivendi mare compete with
Shane.
“I bought her for a lot of money — my wife didn’t speak to me for three days — because I rode her mother and her grandmother and she reminded me of her grandmother,” he explained. “I asked Shane to take over because I didn’t have the time to get her to international shows. I rode her at four CSIs in two years and Shane’s already taken her to six since March this year.”
Third-placed Glory B V was back to her best here after jumping on the county circuit.
“She’s only little and I think she gets extra bounce off a surface. She’s still getting used to jumping on grass,” said her owner-breeder Liz Howes.
Charlene Bastone, who now works for David and Louise Simpson, had two wins and a second in Foxhunter classes on her own Fyberlinus H. She also made her first outing on Louise’s usual ride, Fiona V/H Lemmenshof, a winning one in the opening day’s 1.30m open.
Alice Godfrey won three 1m opens on her ride of 10 years, the 16-year-old Hungarian-bred Bugac Donat, while Leesa Long had a sensational 10 wins over the four days.
“This must be my luckiest showground. I don’t need to go anywhere else,” she joked.