The opening World Cup Grand Prix of the 2020 season was won by an Irish rider.

Tipperary’s Shane Breen claimed a superb victory in Saturday’s (January 4th) four star Longines FEI World Cup at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Out of the 35 starters, only 10 made it through to the jump-off, where Breen steered the 12-year-old stallion Ipswich van de Wolfakker to victory.

The pair were just one of three double clear rounds and as they were the fastest to complete the course, Breen took home just over €24,000 in prize money.

Breen finished just over half a second ahead of Austrian runner-up Gerfried Puck, while third place on the podium went to Syria’s Osama Al Zabibi.

Kilkenny’s Jack Ryan was also among those who jumped clear in the first round and recorded a fifth place finish with Essenar High Hopes with the second-fastest four fault score of the jump-off.

Breen is currently one of seven Irish riders who are inside the world’s top 50 after the latest Longines world jumping rankings were announced last Friday.

Darragh Kenny remains Ireland’s top-ranked rider at number eight, with Bertram Allen at number 32, Denis Lynch at number 36 and Daniel Coyle at number 37. Shane Sweetnam is at number 39, with Breen at number 49 and Paul O’Shea rounding out the group at 50.

Swiss rider Martin Fuchs is the new world number one.