Source:  News Release/Colin McClelland

Show Jumping - Breen's Grand Prix Win Brings Irish Weekend Tally to Five

A GRAND Prix win by Tipperary's Trevor Breen tonight (Sunday) brought Ireland's tally of weekend show jumping victories to five.

The 34 year-old rider piloted the bay gelding Adventure de Kannan to first place at Vilamoura's three star show in Portugal, narrowly beating France's Marie Robert and Rhune d'Euskadi to the 15,000 euro prize in a 14 horse jump-off.

Jessica Kurten notched up Ireland's fourth show jumping victory this weekend when she won at 's-Hertogenbosh on Saturday, romping home with more than two seconds in hand over nearest challenger, Britain's Scott Brash.

The Antrim-born rider, aboard VDL Stud's stallion Arezzo VDL, was back to her top form at the Netherlands show, and never looked in danger of being caught in the one round competition by Brash and the bay gelding Whisky Mac IV.

On Friday night Trevor Breen's brother Shane tasted victory in the jump-off class at Vilamoura in Portugal, riding the stallion Balloon, while in Braunschweig in Germany, 17 year-old Wexford native Bertram Allen took first place in the big speed class aboard Billy Twomey's mare Molly Malone V.

The first Irish victory of the weekend, however, went to Co. Down's Conor Swail, who led five Irish riders into the top ten at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, riding the mare Martha Louise.

Shane Sweetnam was best of the Irish in Saturday night's Horseware Grand Prix at the American venue, taking third place on Eregast van't Kiezelhof, with Japan's Eiken Sato and Espyrante claiming the 27,000 dollar winner's prize purse.   

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