TIPPERARY’S Trevor Breen has had a winning start to 2024, after claiming the top spot in the first Grand Prix of the year at The Sustainable City Horse Show in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday. Breen rode the Irish Sport Horse mare ABC Cortana Cruise to take victory in the 1.45m two-star class, with the only clear round of the competition and a time of 79.34 seconds. This nine-year-old bay mare (Cornet Obolensky x Ardnehue Diamond Cruiser), was bred by Patrick Kehoe in Co Carlow and is owned by Melanie Davidson from Co Antrim. Derry’s David Simpson and Pjotr van de Kruishoeve placed third with four faults in 76.38 seconds.

“Jumping the only clear round of the class to take the win, we couldn’t be more thrilled with how consistent this mare has been!” Breen said on social media following his success.

In an impressive and very unusual result, the pair of Irish riders each had another horse in the top 10, with Simpson placing eighth on 10-year-old bay mare Billy Piccadilly and Trevor Breen securing 10th place on the 10-year-old chesnut mare, Luidam’s Warrior!

Simpson and Trevor Breen had both got their show jumping year off to a great start, when they both secured podium positions, placing joint third in the 1.40m Qualifier in Dubai on Friday, January 5th, each jumping clear and stopping the clock on exactly the same time of 65.59 seconds! Simpson was riding nine-year-old bay stallion Pjotr van de Kruishoeve, while Breen rode Luidam’s Warrior.

Shane Breen followed up with another third place for Ireland in the 1.25m class on 18-year-old bay stallion Can Ya Makan, jumping clear in a time of 63.89 seconds.

Billy Piccadilly had another pleasing result for Simpson on Sunday in the 1.40m class, where they placed fifth, while in the concluding competition of the show, the 1.30m class, Shane Breen rode eight-year-old bay stallion Lucky Luck (Grandorado TN x Cannie Z) into sixth place.