SHANE Breen started off the new year and his stint in the Middle East on a high note when winning the four-star Longines FEI World Cup qualifier in Abu Dhabi last Saturday.

Breen rode his Dublin Grand Prix-winning gelding Ipswich van de Wolfsakker, who is owned by the rider alongside Breen Equestrian, Jos Lansink and Konstantinkonstantin Pysarenko, to score the first World Cup qualifier of 2020. Breen, who rides for Team Z7, will spend a number of weeks competing in the UAE to kickstart the year.

He was one of 10 of the starting 35 to produce a clean sheet in the first round of the competition and his time of 45.23 seconds was the best of three who managed a second clear against the clock to earn just over €24,000. Austria’s Gerfried Puck took the runner-up place with a time of 45.90 seconds aboard Bingo du Parc, just ahead of Syria’s Osama Al Zabibi and Flash Gordon (0/0 52.83).

Irish eyes were drawn to fifth-placed Jack Ryan, who produced a fabulous performance in his very first World Cup class with Ann Marie Fagan’s nine-year-old gelding Essenar High Hopes. The combination produced a brilliant clear first time off, and faulted just once in the jump-off to slot into fifth place.

The 19-year-old Kilkenny show jumper is currently based with Shane Breen and Team Z7 where he rides some of the young horses.

Breen’s first top result came in Thursday’s 1.45m two-phase class when he slotted into second place with Prince Torki’s 11-year-old mare Evita, breaking the beam in 28.61 seconds, just behind Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah al Sharbatly and Gain Line (0/0 28.16).

Breen then won Friday’s one-star 1.30m aboard Team Z7’s seven-year-old stallion Z7 Regal Don when he was the fastest of four double clears in the seven-horse jump-off. Jack Ryan finished seventh when faulting once against the clock with Breen Equestrian’s six-year-old mare Elmira Mail.

Shane’s younger brother Trevor is also part of the Team Z7 crew in Abu Dhabi and he finished fourth in Saturday’s 1.30m two-phase class aboard with Irish Sport Horse Z7 Canya Dance. Bred by Anne Hughes, the gelding is by Can Ya Makan, who is ridden at five-star level by Shane Breen.

Twenty-year-old Mikey Pender also started 2020 in Abu Dhabi, placing second in Friday’s 1.45m Table A with Casanova van Overis Z, a 12-year-old gelding owned by Studfarm Overis and Bravo Hughes. His time of 64.41 seconds was just fractions shower than Latvia’s Kristaps Neretnieks and Moon Ray (0/ 64.28). Ryan finished sixth with Essenar High Hopes (0/ 67.49).