First International win for Shane Breen and Acoustic Solo du Baloubet
Friday 19 June 2015
Irish star Shane Breen maintained his 100% winning record on exciting prospect Acoustik Solo du Baloubet as day two of the Ashford Farm CSI**** Bolesworth International got under way in Cheshire.
Breen, who is based at Hickstead in West Sussex, landed the 1.45metre speed class, sponsored by Gaskells Waste Management, after a stylish display on the nine-year-old chestnut gelding's international debut.
Breen was the sole rider to clock under 70 seconds on a horse he only started competing four weeks ago, with Bolesworth success following a victory at Pyecombe, near Brighton.
The horse is regularly ridden by West Country showjumper Anna Edwards, and Breen has no doubt about its potential.
"He hadn't jumped a 1.45m before, so I thought I would try to do the turns and see how quick he could be," Breen said.
"He is going to be very good. I thought I would be around 73 seconds in terms of the time, then when I saw 69 seconds I thought 'that's pretty good'.
"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.
"When he came into the international arena over the bridge today he had a look around and he was like 'this is great'."
Breen collected a winner's purse of £2,310, with American Laura Kraut finishing second on Cavalia, while Mexico's Alberto Michan Halbinger took third aboard Really LS La Silla and Britain's Chloe Aston was fourth on Kolibri Classic.
