TIPPERARY NATIVE TREVOR BREEN has his first ever Hickstead Derby win after beating last year’s champion – British rider Phillip Miller -by two hundredths of a second in a jump-off today.
Breen, who was riding Karen Swann’s bay gelding Adventure De Kannan, finished on four faults after the first round, which put him level with Miller and the grey stallion Caritiar Z.
However, in the jump-off, Breen claimed the €47,500 first prize when beating Miller’s time by the slimmest of margins.
Adventure de Kannan had an eye removed during surgery in 2013 following a five year-old eye condition that had suddenly worsened, but has been competing successfully since the operation.
The win took Irish victories at Hickstead this weekend to a total of four. Richard Howley and Belinka Vh Overlede Goed won the opening class on Thursday, followed by 19-year old Michael Duffy’s first place later in the day on Torino in the speed class.
On Saturday Daniel Coyle claimed a win with Zuidam in the day’s feature jump-off class.
Founded in 1960, the Hickstead Derby meeting is one of the most famous equestrian events in the world.
