The final event of Thursday evening at Olympia, The London International Horse Show, The Ivy Stakes sponsored by Champagne Taittinger, proved to be a star-studded event. With six of the world's top ten ranked show jumpers vying for victory, it was Irishman Shane Breen - currently 55th in the world rankings - who took the spoils.

With 15 horse and rider combinations successfully navigating the Bernardo Costa Cabral-designed 1.50m course and progressing to the jump-off, it was Breen who ultimately excelled, effortlessly steering his 13-year-old chestnut stallion Golden Hawk (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Chin Chin) fault-free around the demanding jump-off course in an unbeatable time of 33.41 seconds. Hot on Breen's heels was Swiss maestro Steve Guerdat on Corbinian (Cornet Obolensky x Pilot), who slotted into second spot just half a second off the pace, while third placed Norwegian Geir Gulliksen on Gin Chin van het Lindenhof (Chin Chin x Calido I) was a further second back.

Amazingly, this is Breen’s first full week at Olympia (he has competed in the Puissance before) and he revealed that the victory had cost him four watches – thinking it unlikely, he promised four children that he would buy them one each if he was successful.

“It looked a tricky enough jump-off course but the horse got in a nice rhythm and it came my way,” said Breen.

The Gulliksen family have been long supporters of Olympia so a first win for 22-year-old Johann-Sebastien Gulliksen in the Christmas Stocking Six Bar proved popular. Four riders made it through to the fourth round, at 1.90m, but Gulliksen, riding the 13-year-old Arakorn (Cantos x Damiro), was the only one to go clear.

Gulliksen, who has been accompanying his father, Geir, to Olympia since a small child, said his horse had jumped 1.95m in Madrid a few weeks ago. "He really tries his best. It’s unbelievable to win here at Olympia. The crowd really gives you an emotional feeling.”

German Olympic rider Christian Ahlmann had a pleasant surprise in 1.45m The Shelley Ashman International Shipping Ltd, E M Rogers (Transport) Ltd Snowflake Stakes when a horse that has only been jumping for a year carried him to victory in this speed class.

Atomic Z (Cumano x Chin Chin), a breeding stallion until last year, lacks the ring experience of other horses, but showed just how quick a learner he is when his round was fast enough to beat Britain's William Funnell on Billy Angelo (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Kroongraaf) by two seconds.

"It wasn't planned at all," said Ahlmann, "but when I went in he felt so good that I went a bit quicker, and then a bit quicker still, because he is very flexible."

Darragh Kenny is currently Leading Rider of the Show, with Geir Gulliksen second, Dutchman Doron Kuipers third and William Funnell fourth.