EIGHT months after a career-threatening injury, Tipperary’s Trevor Breen scored a major comeback win in the four-star Longines FEI World Cup in Abu Dhabi, UAE, last Sunday.

Riding the 11-year-old mare Luidam’s Warrior, the pair produced the only double-clear of the competition to win in a time of 43.36 seconds.

“It was super,” the West Sussex-based rider said. “She is a class mare. She was in unbelievable form last year until I broke my neck. Then she had a break when I was off and started off here a few weeks ago in 1.30m classes and this was her first Grand Prix since I’ve been back.”

On May 11th 2024, Breen suffered a fall in Hamburg, Germany and underwent surgery for three fractures to the lower neck and back. Breen stayed determined throughout and got back in the saddle in September, before some shows towards the end of the year.

As he has done in recent years, Breen has spent the month of January in the UAE, riding as part of Team Z7 alongside his brother Shane, wife Caroline and others and last week he was named on the Irish team for this Sunday’s (February 2nd) Nations Cup in Sharjah.

In Sunday’s class, Breen was the only double clear in the nine-horse jump-off. Just four completed the “difficult” first round without fault, but the top 25% returned to the timed round. The winning round earned him €26,375 in prize money.

The UAE’s Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi slotted into second place with Enjoy de la Mure (0/4 40.42), ahead of Germany’s Sophie Hinners and Nuraya 3 (4/0 42.23) in third.

The previous day, Breen was runner-up in the four-star 1.40m with the home-bred Kannoon Blue, who is out of the same mare as his European medal-winning horse Highland President. The combination were double clear in 44.27 seconds to pick up €2,000 behind Hinners with RR Combella.

Breen and Highland President will join his brother Shane with Z7 Oilina, Mikey Pender with HHS Calais (ISH) and David Simpson with Mambo NR 5 B on the Irish Nations Cup team in Sharjah on February 2nd.

“Michael Blake has put his faith in me, so I’m very pleased and honoured to get the call-up again so soon after coming back,” Breen added.

Derry’s David Simpson placed third in Friday’s 1.30m class aboard the Irish Sport Horse Lancer Luck (Lord Lancer x Coevers Diamond Boy), who was bred by Thomas Whelan.