TIPPERARY’S Shane Breen claimed the first Irish World Cup win of the 2026 season when he rode the 10-year-old gelding BP Arctic Blue to a decisive victory in Sunday’s four-star Al Shira’aa Longines FEI World Cup Grand Prix at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The pair showed their class when recording the only double clear in the competition.

The 1.60m class was the crescendo of the show - and of the Irish successes – with a total of 50 combinations lining up to compete for the generous prize fund. Thirteen of these proceeded to the second round, with Breen the only competitor to remain fault-free.