Breen gives Ireland second win at Bolesworth, Simpson joint first in Puissance

TIPPERARY’S Shane Breen gave Ireland its second win of the weekend at the four-star show in Bolesworth, England today (Friday).

Breen piloted his new mount, the nine year-old gelding Acoustik Solo du Baloubet, to its first international win in the Cheshire speed class, beating America’s Laura Kraut and St. Bride´s Farm’s grey mare Cavalia into second place by one-and-a-half seconds.

Later Breen said of the horse, owned by Bina Ford and Anna Edwards, and which he has been riding for just the last four weeks: “He is just naturally very quick – there is that natural quickness about him. He makes a good jump, and you don’t feel like you are going as quickly as you end up going.

“I have had a couple of quick horses in the past, and you could add strides everywhere and you knew you were going quick, whereas with this guy he is just so naturally quick.”

Acoustik Solo du Baloubet was making its international debut at Bolesworth, having been campaigned before by British rider Anna Edwards.

Later in the night, David Simpson added more ribbons to the Irish haul when he claimed joint first in the Puissance with Gotti van Paemel, sharing the prize with Norway’s Victoria Gulliksen and Grafit.

Breen and Simpson’s wins add to the Irish victory on the opening day of the show, when Co. Down’s Dermott Lennon and Judith Sossick’s Irish Sport Horse Loughview Lou Lou won the Longines Ranking speed competition.

Shane Breen and Acoustik Solo du Baloubet