TIPPERARY’s Trevor Breen shared victory in last Thursday’s big Puissance at the five-star Royal Windsor Horse Show in England. The West Sussex-based rider was one of five to make it to the fifth and final round with Old Lodge Stud’s 14-year-old stallion Chankar Mail.

Despite a sticky start, when Chankar Mail was unsure in the first round, the combination were one of two to clear the red wall at 2.15m to share victory and earn £2,500. Britain’s Derek Morton was also clear with KBS High Quality, while David Simpson was among three to fault in the final round with Jumper Jack TS to share third place.

A delighted Trevor Breen commented: “I’m so happy with the horse. I don’t have him too long but he is just fantastic. As you saw, in the first round he didn’t know what was going on, he didn’t know what the green thing in front of the wall was.

“In every round he got better and better. I kept coming out and saying to my groom Katie ‘I’m going to chance another round’! I am just over the moon with him, with his attitude and his bravery.”

Grand Prix to Belgium

Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet won Sunday’s five-star Rolex Grand Prix with the exuberant grey stallion Nevados S. Bernardo Costa Cabral’s up-to-height 1.60m course proved challenging, with only three riders making it through to the jump-off.

Wathelet was first to go in the jump-off and laid down the gauntlet with the tightest of turns to the Rolex double at the far end of the arena and flying down to the final fence to set the time to beat of 34.79 seconds.

Austria’s Max Kühner was next to take up the challenge, and he set out meaning business with Elektric Blue P, but broke the beam in a slower time of 36.09 seconds. Israel’s Daniel Bluman was the final rider to take it on and he did get closer to the winning time but four faults at the final fence saw him finish in third place.

Wathelet commented: “It is amazing to win a Grand Prix, especially a Rolex Grand Prix. I jumped in the Nations Cup at La Baule last week and the horse was jumping really well, so I was confident coming to Royal Windsor that he was on great form. It was a tough course which was very up to height, but I thought there would be more clears from the top combinations. Even though there weren’t many riders in the jump-off you still have to go fast and clear to win.”

Shane Breen was runner-up in Sunday’s 1.50m ranking class with Breen Equestrian and Old Lodge Stud’s 10-year-old mare Haya. The pair were one of 15 clear rounds in 59.79 seconds, just behind British winner Harry Charles with Billabong du Roumois (0/ 57.25).

David Simpson placed fourth in Friday’s 1.45m with the 10-year-old Medoc de Toxandria when clear in 26.21; Trevor Breen was sixth aboard Mandy Hall’s Toyger. Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann secured victory in 25.10 with Iliana.