Shane Breen makes flying start to indoor season ahead of Sunday’s opening World Cup round in Oslo

Tipperary’s Shane Breen has made a winning start to the indoor Show Jumping season, after claiming the top prize in tonight’s (Friday) 1m50 five-star speed class at Olso in Norway.

Shane Breen and Golden Hawk collect the winners prize at Olso in Norway

He guided the 13-year-old stallion Golden Hawk to the fastest clear round in 65.09 seconds to take home just over €6,500. Breen was also among the prizes in the later Puissance competition when finishing third with the 8-year-old stallion Colmar.

Shane Breen and Golden Hawk

On Sunday, Oslo will host the opening leg of the 2018/2019 Longines FEI World Cup. Shane Breen is joined in Oslo by fellow Tipperary rider Denis Lynch, Galway’s Michael Duffy and Offaly’s Darragh Kenny.

The World Cup in Oslo is immediately followed by legs in Helsinki (FIN) and Verona (ITA) later this month before the action moves on to Lyon (FRA), Stuttgart (GER) and Madrid (ESP) in November.

La Coruña (ESP) will mark the half-way point in early December, and then, after the Christmas shows at London, Olympia (GBR) and Mechelen (BEL), there will be just four chances left to chase down those precious points. Basel in Switzerland will be a welcome new addition in January when Leipzig (GER) and Amsterdam (NED) will also attract the best riders to the closing stages. Bordeaux (FRA) will host the 13th and last qualifier in February. The Longines FEI World Cup final will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden next April.