There’s no better feeling than having your moment in Hickstead’s international arena, says Shane Breen – as this year’s victor, David Simpson, now knows.
Irish showjumper Shane Breen, who runs Breen Equestrian from his Hickstead base and won the Derby for the first time in 2022 riding Can Ya Makan, reflects on a vintage Hickstead, and the rise of British breeding
This year’s Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby was a great competition. I think everybody was on the edge of their seats watching David Simpson and William Funnell battle it out – so congratulations to them. It was a great crowd and spectators certainly got their money’s worth!
William was hard done by not to make history with a record fifth win after jumping two clear rounds but, like me, David’s dream was always to win the Derby.
In 2007, David came over to stay with me for two months’ training and he stayed with us for nearly eight years before he moved over to Granny Sue’s [Sue Bunn]. We’ve always been good mates, so from that point of view, his victory felt very similar to when my brother Trevor won in 2014 and 2015.
On Tuesday night, David was asking, “Is my horse too young? He’s only eight.” But I said he’s jumped it 100 times at home – you’ll be fine. So fair play to him – he’s wanted to win the competition so much that he’s built an absolute carbon copy of the fences at home. So for me it wasn’t a huge surprise – he’s well trained and well schooled, and the horse has learnt the ropes.
As David now knows, there’s no better feeling than having your moment in Hickstead’s international arena. It’s an iconic class – it’s a bit different even though it’s the same every year, but it always throws up some thrills and spills, like me falling off Scarteen! So it wasn’t my day, it was David’s day, which I’m delighted about, and I’ll be back to fight it out next year.
A boost for British breeding
The young horse classes at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting were brilliant with some very nice horses in them. Generally, globally, there are better youngsters coming through. I think that’s due to breeders realising how the sport has changed, with tracks so light and technical with so many variations.
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So yes, these horses need a great rider, but you need a horse who is super-balanced, intelligent, careful and scopey – the full package – and more of those are coming through in the UK now.
That’s what we’re trying to do at Breen Equestrian anyway, and I’ve seen the improvement in my horses. There’s no ring like Hickstead with its three-metre fall in gradient, so horses have to find and hold their balance, and use their power. It’s a real test for horse and rider.
Pride and emotion
It’s always a busy show as my two sons were competing in the under-10s while my daughter Darcy, who was doing those classes only three years ago, was jumping horses for the first time this year. She’s made the children-on-horses team for the European Championships at Gorla Minore, which is very special.
Everyone was asking how I was feeling ahead of Golden Hawk’s retirement and I thought I was fine. But cantering round the arena before I got off him, it suddenly hit me that this was the last time I’d ride him in a ring and I got quite emotional. He’s been an amazing horse for me and done so much more than he’s given credit for.
Thankfully, he’s breeding beautiful stock and proving a great flagship for the Breen Equestrian stud. Now he’s retired, he can go into quarantine to get his fresh semen all over Europe, as well as the UK next year. I can’t wait to ride some of his sons and daughters.
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This exclusive column will also be available to read in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 6 July, 2023
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
