Trevor Breen takes prize at Horse of the Year Show

Tipperary rider wins feature Grandstand Trophy on Friday night

Trevor Breen recorded a second international show jumping win for Ireland at the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham when landing Friday night's feature competition, the Grandstand Trophy.

Based in England, Tipperary-born Breen and Karen Swann's one-eyed Adventure de Kannan were one of 11 combinations to go clear in the first round. Co Wexford's Bertram Allen picked up four faults against the clock with Romanov to finish 10th but Breen and Adventure du Kannan were clear once more in 21.79 seconds.

Second place went to the popular British pairing of John Whitaker and Argento (24.12) with Tim Gredley filling third spot for the host nation on the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Unex Omega Star (24.39).

Billy Twomey came out best in yesterday afternoon's five-fence challenge where, riding Katrina Moore's Selle Francais stallion Royal du Rouet, he picked up maximum points in the third jump-off round having cleared a 1.70m vertical fence and a 1.90m wide triple bar.

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Cian O'Connor finished second with the 10-year-old Quantum mare Ulme de Feurgeres ahead of Britain's Graham Lovegrove on Centolove. Wexford native Bertram Allen (19), who travelled over from Germany for the show, was one of three riders who shared fourth place out of 21 starters.

In the showing section, young Jodie Creighton from Randalstown won yesterday’s working hunter pony of the year championship riding her mother Gillian’s nine-year-old chestnut mare Stambrook Miss Bellini, winner earlier of the 133cms class.

Irish-bred horses won the morning’s three ridden hunter weight divisions. Partnered by Katie Jerram who purchased the horse at the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale two years ago, the six-year-old Master Imp gelding Gortglas Rinarinca claimed the lightweight division.

Owned and ridden by Richard Walker, the mediumweight winner was the five-year-old Emperor Augustus gelding Ceasars Palace who was supreme youngstock champion at the RDS in 2011. The heavyweight honours went to the 12-year-old Ricardo Z gelding Rockefeller, ridden by Alwyne Fradley for Joanne Singfield.

In the title decider yesterday evening, the championship sash went to Ceasars Palace which was bred in Co Tipperary by Kevin Bannon out of a Ricardo Z mare. Gortglas Rinarinca stood reserve.

Eventing

Boekelo, The Netherlands

CCI3* after dressage - 1, Great Britain 137.10 penalties; 2, USA 139.60; 3, The Netherlands 141.30; 4, New Zealand 144.20; 5, Germany 146.90; 6, Australia 151.90; 7, Ireland (Double Dutch (Jonty Evans) 48.80, Kilpatrick Knight (Austin O’Connor) 51.50, Simon Porloe (Padraig McCarthy) 54.40 and Westwinds Hercules (Joseph Murphy) 61) 154.70; 10 teams started.

Show jumping

Assen, The Netherlands

Friday

1.40m speed - 1, The Netherlands’ Avalon (Sjaak Sleiderink) 0, 64.30; 2, The Netherlands’ Bengel SFN (Chantal Regter) 0, 66.93; 3, The Netherlands’ Lumen Ulady (Remco Been) 0, 67.41; 4, The Netherlands’ Boris (Daan van Geel) 0, 68.12; 5, The Netherlands’ Folaz (Angelique Hoorn) 0, 68.51; 6, Ireland’s Mustax Cypriat (Conor Drain) 0, 68.82; 69 starters.

Birmingham, England

Five-fence challenge - 1, Ireland’s Royale du Bond (Billy Twomey); 2, Ireland’s Ulme de Feugeres (Cian O’Connor); 3, Britain’s Centolove (Graham Lovegrove); equal 4, Britain’s Calcourt Falklund (Lauren Edwards), Ireland’s Belmonde (Bertram Allen) and Britain’s Uni Stop (John Whitaker); 21 starters.

Chevenez, Switzerland

Thursday

Horses, 1.40m two-phase - 1, Britain’s Quillini (Jason Smith) 0/0, 31.91; 2, Slovakia’s Pokerface 33 (Bronislav Chudyba) 0/0, 32.08; 3, Ireland’s Felix XXVIII (Michael G. Duffy) 0/0, 33.91; 4, Switzerland’s Espoir VII (Lucas Sturzenegger) 0/0, 35.87; 5, Switzerland’s Equire II (Emillie Paillot) 0/0, 35.78; 6, Switzerland’s Waroness (Nicole Mueller) 0/0, 35.84; 48 starters.

Friday

Ponies, 1.20m speed - 1, Ireland’s Carlton Diva (Michael Pender) 0, 48.48; 2, Austria’s It’s My Dancer (Johanna Sixt) 0, 49.49; 3, Ireland’s Hazelbergs Erik (Michael Pender) 0, 49.82; 4, France’s Quessada de la Roque (Camille Conde Ferreira) 0, 50.32; 5, The Netherlands’ Bugatti (Danine Pater) 0, 51.55; 6, Germany’s Pico 212 (Philipp Schulze Topphoff) 0, 51.56; 40 starters.

Pony 1.30m Nations’ Cup - 1, Germany 0/4; The Netherlands 4/5; 3, Belgium 10/0; 4, Ireland (Mighty Patch (Nicholas Connors) 9/0, More Clover (Hannah O’Shea) 4/0, Dalestown Cavalier (Annemarie Dunne) 4/4 and Zirina (Michael Pender) 4/0) 12/0; 5, Switzerland 16/12; 5 teams started.

Vilamoura, Portugal

Friday

1.40m speed - 1, Switzerland’s Rafale des Forets (Pius Schwizer) 0, 59.86; 2, The Netherlands’ Quinoa des Riollets (Leon Thijssen) 0, 60.16; 3, Ireland’s Crispien (Marion Hughes) 0, 60.38; 4, Switzerland’s Looping T ch (Pius Schwizer) 0, 63.80; 5, Sweden’s Cyprus (Erika Lickhammer) 64.98; 6, Spain’s Nanon des Bois (Patricio Maldonado Maestre) 0, 67.09; 61 starters.

1.45m speed - 1, Egypt’s Limelight de Breve (Sameh el Dahan) 0, 59.19; 2, Britain’s Helidor Hybris (Laura Renwick) 0, 59.89; 3, France’s Raina des Dames (Cedric Angot) 0, 61.91; 4, Belgium’s Essini (Pieter Clemens) 0, 64.32; 5, Ireland’s Barcelona (Harry Marshall) 0, 64.60; 6, France’s Plume de la Roque (Frederic Busquet) 0, 65.38; 84 starters.