Photo: Juan Luis Cabrera
Proof that persistence pays off, Trevor Breen is enjoying a run of success with a “quirky” mare called Bombay.
Reaping the rewards
Since winning the Hickstead Derby in 2014 and 2015, the Irish showjumper has been focussing on producing young horses.
He is now reaping the rewards and recent wins with Bombay include a two-star Grand Prix in Belgium and a double of wins at the Sunshine Tour in Spain, where the pair took the title in the €100,000 CSI4* Grand Prix.
“She’s naturally really quick,” Trevor told H&C. “She’s always looking for the next fence, which makes my job easy in a jump-off.”
‘A real madam’
Bombay, who is owned by Willy Matton, has been with Trevor since she was seven. However, the mare who has earned the moniker ‘Princess’, has taken time to produce.
“I liked her straight away, but she’s a real madam,” says Trevor. “In the stable she’ll bite or kick given the chance and she’s a demon to travel. She kicks the lorry, so she has to have foam blocks around her bum.”
Many riders would have given up on her, but Trevor’s patience and persistence is starting to pay off. His wife Caroline has also played a key role in her progress, riding and schooling her at home and “keeping her chilled”.
“We know how to handle her now and when you do that she’s fine,” says Trevor. “I’ve always believed she had talent. It was when we won the grand prix at Hickstead’s national show last September that the penny dropped. She’s been really consistent since then.”
‘Time to sell’
Trevor stepped down from five-star competition after selling his top horses to fund a move from Caroline’s family home in Buckinghamshire to their own property in Sussex. They now live just minutes from Hickstead and Trevor’s brother Shane.
“There are two things going on in your head as a showjumper,” Trevor explained. “The competitor in you wants to compete in grand prix and nations cups and Olympics. But the businessman in you realises when the horses are going well they are worth lot of money.
“We’ve got two young kids and we wanted our own place, so it was time to sell the horses and move on to the next stage of our lives.”
‘High hopes’
In addition to selling up and moving on, Trevor’s much-loved Derby winner Adventure de Kannan (aka ‘the one-eyed wonder horse’) was retired and that same year his other Derby champion Loughnatousa WB tore a tendon.
It’s great to see Trevor back at the top of his sport. Bombay has been selected for her first Nations Cup team in Lisbon in May and Trevor hopes to be picked for the Hickstead Nations Cup in July.
“We’ve got a bit to prove yet, but she is going really well,” said Trevor. “I also have high hopes for two eight-year-olds, Franklin and Feliano B.”
You can watch Trevor Breen in a number of shows on Horse & Country. He appears in our Yard Talk series, shares some great advice in a number of Masterclass programmes and also features in Daisy Dines with Shane Breen.
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