TIPPERARY show jumper Shane Breen scored a three-star win last Friday in Vilamoura, Portugal, with his experienced 15-year-old Golden Hawk.

The Vigo D’Arsouilles stallion, who is owned by Breen Equestrian and P. Sultan, came out on top in the 1.45m class and earned €6,350 when the best of 22 clear rounds in the class with 68 participants. His time of 59.14 was fractions quicker than British runner-up Holly Smith and the 12-year-old gelding Denver (0/ 59.20), while third place went to France’s Michel Hecart and Solero MS (0/ 60.23).

Michael G. Duffy slotted into fourth place with Carl Hanley Sporthorses’ eight-year-old mare Money Penny when clear in 60.56, while the only other Irish rider clear was Mikey Pender who finished ninth with the Bravo Hughes-owned eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare HHS Catwalk (Cit Cat x Clover Echo).

British dominate Grand Prix

It was an all-British podium in Sunday’s 1.50m Grand Prix and seven of the top 10 positions were filled by the British riders. Best of the eight clears against the clock was Guy Williams aboard his own 15-year-old stallion Rouge de Revel. He broke the beam in 36.24 seconds to beat Laura Renwick into second place with Dublin V (0/0 36.56), while Jack Whitaker finished third with Valmy de la Lande (0/0 37.01).

Jack Ryan was the only Irish rider to make it through to the timed round with Katie Speller’s nine-year-old gelding Granada S, but the pair faulted once to finish ninth.

Earlier in the day, Ryan finished second in the 1.30m Accumulator. Riding the Kennedy Bros Sport Horses’ eight-year-old KBS Major Player (OBOS Quality x High Roller), who was bred by Peter Rice, Ryan scored the maximum 65 points and was just fractions slower than Portuguese winner António Matos Almeida. David Simpson finished in sixth place with Caluna Z.

The Kilkenny youngster was third in Saturday’s 1.40m jump-off class. He guided Sunniva Sunde and Breen Equestrian’s eight-year-old gelding Hollywood to a clear round against the clock in 38.82 seconds to earn €1,500. Victory went to Britain’s Chloe Aston with Amigo T (0/0 37.59).