A horse Shane Breen won’t ever omit, and who “all the time places a grin for your face” has been retired in Hickstead’s Global Enviornment, at the day of the 2023 Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby.
Shane rode his celebrity stallion Golden Hawk on one final lap of honour in entrance of a cheering crowd, then the 18-year-old used to be unsaddled within the victory spot, and garlanded with vegetation.
“Golden Hawk has been an ideal horse for me,” Shane stated. “He’s a type of horses – you trip so much, each day, and you’ll be able to get slightly weary. However he all the time places a grin for your face while you trip him.”
Golden used to be joint 2nd with 4 faults in final yr’s Derby, and jumped transparent in 2019 however used to be denied the identify by means of Michael Pender within the jump-off. Having joined Breen Equestrian as a six-year-old, he went directly to scale the heights with Shane, successful the Hickstead Derby Trial in 2019, and the Liverpool Global Horse Display grand prix in 2018. He and Shane jumped Countries Cup double clears for Eire, and competed within the Countries Cup ultimate in 2016.
“There’s no longer only one spotlight [that comes to mind],” Shane stated. “On this area, he got here so with regards to the King George, he got here 2nd within the Dublin grand prix; I will be able to’t select one as I’ve had such a lot of particular days. For me in my center, he’s a different horse.”
Golden will retire to stud; Shane stated Breen Equestrian has had enquiries from more than one studs however has determined to stay him, which he believes will probably be “a perfect spice up for UK breeders”.
“He’s an ideal persona,” Shane stated. “I’d have liked to trip him lately, and be within the winner’s enclosure.
“The great factor is that he’s a stallion; I see his offspring now and compete a few of them, and I believe they’re as gifted as him. I’m going to omit him – he’s a horse I will be able to by no means omit.”
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Credit score: Long term
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