Horseytalk.net Special Interview
Adventure De Kannan
Meet the 'one-eyed wonder horse' Adventure De Kannan
The All England Jumping Course at Hickstead has commissioned leading equine photographer Matthew Seed to create a series of photographs of Trevor Breen and his horse Adventure De Kannan, winners of the 2014 Equestrian.com Derby
The photos have been released ahead of this year's Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby Meeting (25-28 June), when Trevor and his 'one-eyed wonder horse' will be returning to Hickstead in an attempt to reclaim their title. There are seven photographs in the collection and the image voted the most popular by Hickstead's social media fans will be displayed at this year's show before being auctioned to raise funds for the Mark Davies Injured Riders' Fund.
Adventure De Kannan (known in the stable as 'Addy') not only has a superb record at the All England Jumping Course, but he has also won numerous international Grands Prix and represented Ireland on Nations Cup showjumping teams. But what makes the gelding even more remarkable is that he defied the odds by returning to top level competition after an operation to remove his right eye in 2013.
The gelding had an eye condition which was progressively worsening, until the point it was decided that he would be more comfortable having it surgically removed. His owner, Karen Swann, and his rider Trevor worried that Addy might never jump at the top level again, yet in a matter of weeks the gelding was back jumping at major competitions. Just two months after the operation, the pair came very close to winning their first Hickstead Derby title, finishing in second place. Despite his 'disability', Adventure De Kannan proved himself to be as good as he had always been.
Last year Trevor had been determined to claim the coveted Boomerang Trophy after coming so close to winning the Hickstead Derby on several occasions. He and Addy jumped a superb round to finish on four faults, which led to a jump-off between Trevor and the 2013 winner, Phillip Miller. In one of the closest finishes in Derby history, Trevor won the title by just 0.02sec.
"Winning the Hickstead Derby is a phenomenal achievement for any horse and especially so for 'Addy', considering he only has one eye," said Cheshire-based photographer Matthew Seed. "I was delighted to be approached by the Hickstead team and asked to produce these images to commemorate Trevor and Addy's achievements."
Matthew spent the day at the Buckinghamshire yard Trevor shares with his wife Caroline, also a showjumper. "We had a fantastic day with Trevor and his family, and I think the resulting photos really capture the amazing bond between Trevor and his horse. I've worked with lots of horses but Addy was one of the easiest equine models – he was endlessly patient and stood beautifully throughout."
As well as winning Hickstead's most famous class, the Equestrian.com Derby, Trevor and Addy have won nearly every major class at the showground, including the Bunn Leisure Speed Derby, the Templant Events Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the All England Grand Prix and the Amlin Plus Eventing Grand Prix.
"Trevor and Addy have an incredible record at Hickstead – no other horse has won such an array of major titles at our shows," said Lizzie Bunn, Hickstead Director. "We wanted to mark his achievements in some way, so we approached Matthew Seed about creating this very special photoshoot. We think the resulting images are truly spectacular, with each photograph forming a work of art. We are very much looking forward to seeing which of the final seven images is selected to be displayed and auctioned at this year's Derby meeting."
Horses that have won the Derby have historically had a strong chance of doing so, and Trevor is determined to repeat his victory of last summer. "I want to win again. I definitely think Addy could be one of those horses who could win the Derby several times," said Trevor, 36.
Twelve months ago Trevor was presented with the Boomerang Trophy by Lorraine Meadowcroft, CEO of title sponsors Equestrian.com. "You could feel the emotion – Fran, Trevor's groom, was in tears, Trevor was nearly in tears, it was almost overwhelming. Someone like Trevor wins lots of classes, but you could see what it meant to him to finally win the Derby," said Lorraine, who attended the photoshoot with Matthew Seed.
The Equestrian.com Derby is one of the most famous showjumping classes in the world. The huge course includes iconic fences such as the Derby Bank, the Devil's Dyke and one of the widest water jumps in the world. First held in 1961, there has only been a total of 54 clear rounds in the event's history.
Previous winners include showjumping luminaries such as Nick Skelton, John and Michael Whitaker, Ben Maher, Harvey Smith and David Broome, while Irishman Eddie Macken holds the record for four consecutive wins on his great equine partner, Boomerang, after whom the Derby trophy is now named.
The Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby Meeting features international and national showjumping, plus showing classes, scurry driving and carriage driving, and a Celebrity Polo event. The show also features the Charles Owen Shopping Village, with hundreds of tradestands selling everything from clothing, footwear, saddlery, food and giftware. More than 40,000 people attended last year's show, which is one of the major dates of the equestrian season.
Tickets are on sale now at www.hickstead.co.uk.
To vote for your favourite image, visit www.facebook.com/hickstead.