IRELAND put in a faultless performance to win the opening leg of the 2025 Longines League of Nations at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

Team manager, Michael Blake had named his team as Denis Lynch (Vistogrand), Trevor Breen (Highland President), Jason Foley (Chedington Hazy Toulana) and Michael Pender (HHS Los Angeles (ISH)) and, as world number one-ranked nation, they were last to go of the 11 teams who lined up.

The experienced combination of Tipperary man Denis Lynch and the 12-year-old Vistogrand were pathfinders for Ireland and completed a foot-perfect clear round over the course built by Santiago Varela (ESP). Tipperary’s Trevor Breen and Highland President were next in and also delivered a clear for Ireland. Carlow native Jason Foley and his new mount Chedington Hazy Toulana, formerly ridden by Australia’s Christopher Burton, also kept all the fences intact, but picked up two time-penalties, which ended up being the discard score.

Kildare’s Michael Pender was anchorman with HHS Los Angeles (ISH), bred by Marion Hughes, and the pair jumped another perfect clear to leave Ireland on a zero score at the halfway stage, along with the teams from the UAE and France.

In round two, with only three combinations required to jump, Foley watched on as Lynch and Vistogrand secured another clear round, as did Breen and Highland President. This was an emotional double clear, as Breen had a fall from Highland President during the Grand Prix of Hamburg last May and suffered three fractures to his neck and spine; he underwent emergency surgery and was placed in an induced coma.

Pender is well used to pressure and he handled it remarkably, jumping another clear round with HHS Los Angeles (ISH) to keep Ireland fault-free and leave them as clear winners of the season opener, as the only team to finish on a zero score. The home team from the UAE were runners-up on eight faults, with the team including the Irish-bred BBS McGregor (ISH), who jumped a second-round clear which proved crucial, while France finished third on 12. Germany placed fourth, followed by Italy, Great Britain, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, USA and Sweden.

Trevor Breen of Ireland on Highland President tackles a jump on the way to the team win in the opening leg of the Longines League of Nations™ Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, February 15, 2025 \ FEI/Martin Dokupil

Victory

Irish Chef d’Equipe Blake was clearly delighted with the win, saying afterwards: “What a victory – what a performance from the lads and their horses. We came in here as the number one team and that brings pressure, but these lads thrive on that pressure and produced a brilliant afternoon of jumping.

“To a man, they were exceptional. Denis has been in incredible form recently with Vistogrand and he led the way with a double clear. Trevor has come back from an awful injury, and for him to do that out there just shows the measure of the man.

“Jason too, this is his five-star debut on a brand-new horse, and they were clean as a whistle and, when you need Mikey to produce the goods for you, he does it. It’s magic, it really is. I’m over the moon for everyone involved.”

Commenting on Ireland’s seven rounds of jumping, with no poles down, Blake said: “It was astounding. I’m very proud of my boys.”

Lynch commented afterwards: “Vistogrand was excellent, as he has been over the last weeks. He showed incredible consistency. That formed the decision to send me in first, which I’ve done plenty of times. It’s a very fair, very good course. He was very kind to me over the water to the double verticals and showed great balance. I didn’t actually think I rode that well enough, but then obviously he showed all his class and quality on the way home.

“This is probably the proudest thing we can do as a professional rider; to represent your country and Michael already had a discussion with me around November last year, planning already for Abu Dhabi and Ocala and shows ahead. So, I committed early and I’m delighted that he has selected me once again. You want to set your mark straight away and show to the rest of the countries around the world that we mean business and that this is very serious – and, of course, put your best foot forward.”

Long road

Trevor Breen, on returning from serious injury that required surgery, said: “It feels very, very good - I’m not going to lie. It was a long road back. I just had to convince Michael that I was ready. I’m just over the moon that I could deliver.”

Foley was thrilled with his brand-new equine partner, Chedington Hazy Toulana: “I’m absolutely delighted, there are a couple of people who had a good bit of faith for me to come here today with that mare, having only had her a few weeks.

“Obviously, with this being my first five-star it was a big, big ask, but I’m delighted with the result, and from a team perspective as well.”

Michael Pender said of his winning round: “I’m very happy. My horse jumped amazing.”

“Lucky enough the result went our way. It definitely feels sweet today, after leaving it behind us last year [when Ireland placed second],” Pender continued and also commented on the impact the team atmosphere had on his performance.

Blake also thanked Lynch for “taking everyone under his wing” at Abu Dhabi. After such a great start to the league, the Irish team has their eye on the final: “It’s a long year. We intend to be part of it right to the end!”

Next month will see Ireland head to the second leg of the 2025 Longines League Of Nations in Ocala, Florida as league leaders, and they will be hoping to repeat their 2024 win at the American venue.

Placings

Tipperary’s Shane Breen made a good start at Abu Dhabi, when he placed ninth in the two-star 1.30m class on the opening day of the show last Wednesday, jumping clear with Z7 Ipswich. The rider then followed up with a fifth place in the two-star 1.40m class on board BP Arctic Blue.

Five-star competition got under way with the 1.45m Welcome Stakes, which was won by an Irish horse – namely the John McKibbin-bred 12-year-old mare Leestone Mylord Trumps (ISH) ridden by Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi (UAE). The pair jumped clear in 59.21 seconds to finish just ahead of runner-up, Syria’s Shady Ghrayeb with Cabernet de Mars. Kildare’s Michael Pender finished fifth with HHS Cyprus (ISH), bred by Marion Hughes and they were closely followed by Denis Lynch on King Blue in seventh from a start list of 56. Thursday’s two-star 1.40m speed class saw David Simpson finish seventh with Billy Fern.

On Friday, Shane Breen and Z7 Ipswich won the two-star 1.35m jump-off class from a start list of 64, with 16 making it into the jump-off. Breen’s time of 33.51 could not be caught – in fact, his nearest rival, Saeed Moh’D Al Maazmi (UAE) and Mrs Annelie, finished nearly three seconds behind in 36.23.

Breen wasn’t done there, as he was then runner-up in the two-star 1.45m Grand Prix with the nine-year-old gelding BP Arctic Blue, owned by Greg Broderick’s Ballypatrick Stables. There were 49 starters in the class, of whom only seven jumped clear in the first round to progress to the jump-off, with five maintaining a clean sheet second time out. Breen’s time of 41.52 was less than 0.4 seconds off the pace of Belgian winner, Constant van Paesschen on Ganturano (41.14).