Irishman Trevor Breen continued his stellar season by winning a significant double prize to end day one at the Horse of the Year Show in Birmingham. Breen, who is based in Buckinghamshire, guided Adventure De Kannan to Hickstead Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Cup glory during the summer, and tonight at the LG Arena it was the turn of Classic III. Not only did Breen land the Addington Manor Talent Seekers title, it is a class that also incorporates the national seven-year-old championship, which he duly won as well and secured a £1,000 bonus on top of the £1,400 winner's purse. The combination's jump-off time of 37.90 seconds saw them finish clear of Tracey Priest and Market Irminka, with Charlotte Flack and Ratinka Khan third. And Breen, unsurprisingly, was lavish in his praise of the horse afterwards. "It was absolutely brilliant. I won that class in 2011 [with Old Town KC], and now I've won it again. It is a 100 per cent record I hope to keep going," he said. "He is a phenomenal horse. I've said before that he is probably the best horse I have ever ridden. Remember his name in a few years. He can do things that other horses can't. That is probably the biggest track he has ever jumped, and he did it so easily. One last question I had was what would he do under the lights and the atmosphere here? But he grew again. He was better again, and I couldn't be happier. Everything I asked of him, he answered." "The aim is to go big with him, but I will drop him down and then gear him up again. I think he is going to be a top Nations Cup horse and a big Championship horse. This is the show everyone talks about. I came here for the first time in 2011, and it really hit me how big a show it is. They really get behind you and appreciate good showjumping. It's a massive buzz." Earlier in the evening, Nicole Pavitt was crowned EquestrianClearance.com Senior Newcomers champion for a second time at the Horse of the Year Show - and then revealed that a 45-year-old bit proved key to her success. The West Sussex-based rider triumphed two years ago with Our Duchess, and this time it was the seven-year-old French mare Tia Semilly that came up trumps for her. And a bit loaned to her by former British international showjumper Malcolm Pyrah helped Nicole plot a victory path, although she admitted: "I've got to give it back now!" The combination clocked 32.51 seconds in a seven horse jump-off to win by more than a second from Anthony Condon and Balzac, with Daniel Moseley and Dexter X third. "It is a great education for the young horses to come to a big show like this one, and to be able to cope with the atmosphere, it's fantastic," Nicole said. "This is my 12th year competing at HOYS, and it is still just as good as the first time. "This horse has got a really bright future. She is by Diament De Semilly, who is known to produce grand prix horses, and in my eyes she has real grand prix potential. "For me, this was her class. I woke up this morning with a feeling she was going to win it. She is quite a naturally fast horse, so I just let her keep coming forward, which suited her."
