SHANE Breen is probably best known as an Irish international show jumper, but since 2014 the British-based Tipperary man has been operating Pook Bourne Stud, a 400-acre stud farm just east of his home in Hickstead.

The breeding programme is spearheaded by show jumper and stud manager Greg Le Gear, who is also a qualified AI technician.

The Breen dream team at Hickstead for the opening of the Pook Bourne Stud \ Elli Birch Bootsandhooves

Between them, Shane and Greg’s knowledge of mares, stallions and young stock has seen them breed and produce some very exciting sport horses, which now compete worldwide.

Five stallions are currently available to Irish breeders, including prolific show jumping winners Golden Hawk, Can Ya Makan and Colmar.

According to Le Gear, ‘the aim for Pook Bourne is to breed around a dozen foals each year under the Breen Equestrian prefix, as well as cater to clients who wish to send their mares to the stud or purchase frozen semen, with the aim of breeding their own potential superstars’.

Shane Breen and Golden Hawk competing in The Alshira'aa Derby at The All England Showground, Hickstead, West Sussex in June 2022 \ Nigel Goddard

The stallions

A stallion that needs no introduction here in Ireland is Breen’s international Grand Prix mount GOLDEN HAWK. He has proven himself at Grand Prix and Nations Cup level, and across six-bar, puissance, speed and derby classes.

He has earned over £350,000 in prize money and continues to travel the world, taking on some of the biggest and most challenging tracks. He has excellent fertility rates and has sired progeny competing up to 1.60m.

Some of his results include second in the Hickstead Derby in 2022, third in the same class in 2019, as well as first place in the Bunn Leisure Derby Trial that year. In 2018, he won the four-star Liverpool Grand Prix, as well as a table A at the five-star London Olympia and at the five-star in Oslo.

One year earlier, he was part of the third-placed Nations Cup team in La Baule and also placed runner-up in the €200,000 Longines Grand Prix of Ireland.

He is by Vigo d’Arsouilles who, together with Philippe le Jeune, won the gold medal at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

Vigo d’Arsouilles’ sire Nabab de Rêve, also ridden by Philippe le Jeune, was a member of the Belgian bronze medal-winning team at the 2002 WEG in Spain. A well-developed horse out of a strong dam line, Vigo d’Arsouilles is SBS-approved and KWPN-recognised.

Golden Hawk is an elite graded international Grand Prix Grade A stallion with superior breeding on both the sire and dam lines

As well as Golden Hawk, Vigo is also the sire of Super Trooper de Ness (ridden by McLain Ward), Ego van Oti (ridden by Edwina Tops-Alexander), Vagabond de la Pomme (ridden by Penelope Leprevost), and Donatella N (ridden by Nicola Philippaerts).

Golden Hawk’s dam, Ta Belle Van Sombeke, is also the dam of Top Sport (competing up to 1.60m under Jos Lansink) and is also dam to Grand Prix horses: Glocks London, Wabelle de Muze, Pikap, Casimir de la Pomme, Taran de la Pomme, Dabelle, Ba Belle van t Roosakker.

His progeny include: Evitason Van’t Paradjis (international 1.60m ridden by Matteo Zamara); Evita Van’t Zoggehof (international 1.60m ridden by Lorenzo De Luca); Enzo VD Konterhoeve (international 1.50m ridden by Paolo Paini); Filou VD Krimshoeve Z (international 1.50m ridden by Ernesto Vacirca) and Elastique VD Koekoek (international 1.45m ridden by Jules Orsolini).

CAN YA MAKAN was Breen’s mount in 2022, when he won the Hickstead Derby with the only clear round of the class. In 2018, the pair won the World Cup in Dubai, the Hickstead Derby trial, the Keysoe Grand Prix, as well as the Speed Derby at the Dublin Horse Show. In 2019, the duo won the 1.50m at the Windsor Horse Show, as well as taking first in the 1.50m and second in the 1.55m in Hamburg that year.

By Canturo (international 1.60m) and on his dam’s side is Fier du Lui Z (international 1.60m), he is a very well-bred horse, with excellent technique over his fences and is very versatile. He has very successful progeny jumping up to Grand Prix on the show jumping circuit and four-star eventing. He has 52% blood, which makes him a useful event horse sire.

COLMAR is an International Grade A competing at 1.60m level. He is approved by Breeders Elite Studbook.

He is by Ludger Beerbaum’s stallion Colestus, who jumped at 1.60m level and was, in turn, by the great Cornet Obolensky. His dam line is Quidams Rubin/Quidam de Revel. His dam has a lot of thoroughbred influence, and you can see this in his progeny. They are lovely types that have inherited his qualities and are already making their mark internationally and in young horse championships.

Colmar was a multiple winner in age classes and stepped up to 1.40m and 1.50m levels as an eight-year-old.

He again stepped up to be placed at 1.60m Grand Prix as a nine-year-old and won a two-star Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi 2020 with Jack Ryan. He was a regular on the Global Champions Tour with some fantastic performances, including first in the two-star Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2020.

In 2019, he was runner-up in the 1.45m at the CSI5* Shanghai, the CSI5* Cannes, the CSI4*-W Abu Dhab and the Dubai Grand Prix. In 2018, he was second in the CSI5*-W Helsinki Accumulator and third in the CSI5*-W Oslo Puissance.

Lucky Luck is a very exciting young stallion and was grading champion as a three-year-old in Holland, gaining the highest marks ever awarded

LUCKY LUCK (Grandorado TN x Canabis Z) is an eight-year-old very exciting young stallion. He was grading champion as a three-year-old in Holland, gaining the highest marks ever awarded, and has had a successful start to his career under saddle.

He made his international debut in March 2022 and has provided consistent top-10 placings at 1.25m and 1.30m level.

Lucky Luck has competed lightly in age classes up to 1.35m due to his popularity as a breeding stallion

In 2021, he stood in Ireland for his first stud season, and already has three crops of foals, some of which are being awarded premium gold in foal assessments.

“This very beautiful stallion has all it takes to become a top champion horse – he’s already proved that in his grading in Holland. The world is his oyster,” said Shane Breen.

He has excellent x-rays and he is WFFS free.

Cuick Star Kervec is a 2012 son of Quick Star with an exceptional temperament and a fantastic scopey and careful jump, a trait which seems to be passed on to his progeny

CUICK STAR KERVEC is a 2012 son of Quick Star out of Kervec Ratina, by Diamant de Semilly.

In 2022, he won the Leading Show jumper of the Year at HOYS, along with making his five-star World Cup debut in Lyon.

In 2023, he finished third in the five-star Grand Prix at the World Cup show in Helsinki and went on to take fifth in the Oslo World Cup.

Cuick has gone from strength to strength in the international ring jumping. In his first five-star Nations Cup for Team Ireland, he helped the team secure third place.

There are some really exciting yearlings, two-, three- and four-year-olds at Pook Bourne; his eldest are now six years old and they look superb.

BE Bunny, the first foal to be born at Breen Equestrian’s Pook Bourne Stud, back in April 2021. The gorgeous colt foal arrived into the world on Easter Sunday, and was given the somewhat-appropriate name of BE Bunny. His mother (by embryo transfer) is Shane Breen’s top competition mare Zarnita, and his sire is Colmar, one of the stud’s superstar stallions \ Ellie Birch/Boots and Hooves Photography