Breban's wait is worth it

HARRIET BREBAN produced a faultless round to ensure she retained the Senior Open Jumping title on the third day of the Horse of the Year Show at Chemin Le Roi.

Breban was on Okehurst Firecracker for the win, which was achieved after a clear round of 67.28sec. in tricky conditions after the poor weather made the surface difficult.

However, having ridden fourth up in the 18-competitor class, she had to wait for nearly the whole event before finding out if she had successfully defended the title she won on the same horse in 2011. First up was Sarah Jackson on Ally Oop and she set a high benchmark with a clear round in 69.37sec., which in the final reckoning would be enough to earn her second place.

Most of the quality was to come in those early stages, as Cloonbarry Courage from Jersey, ridden by Rebecca Settle, then produced the fastest time in 65.96.