IRELAND’S European medallist Shane Sweetnam enjoyed a great run of success over the weekend in the Split Rock Jumping Tour at the Kentucky Horse Park coming home with first and second in the $50,000 FEI Welcome CSI3* 1.45m on Friday and second in the $110,000 1.50m Grand Prix CSI3* on Sunday.

Anderson Lima’s 16-effort 1.45m track drew a broad international field showcasing 61 starters from 13 different nations. Eight pairs navigated the course fault-free to earn their spot in the jump-off, a shortened course consisting of eight jumping efforts, including the addition of two new fences, the flower oxer at fence 15 and the Dalman vertical at fence 16.

Luis Sabino Gonçalves (POR) and Sigma Stables LLC’s Vick du Croisy led the way with a fast pace of 38.88 seconds, but fell victim to the second to last fence to finish on four faults.

Caelinn Leahy (USA) tried her hand next, and piloted Steve Schaefer’s The Gray Man to the first double-clear performance, crossing the timers in 41.46 seconds.

Taking the lead

Sweetnam followed on his first qualified mount, RR Combella (Cornet Du Lys x Indoctro) and utilized the Argentinian mare’s speed to leave out a stride to the final fence and take the lead in 40.65 seconds.

Jad Dana (LBN) followed with After Eight, owned by Springhill Farm 1850, and produced the fastest time in 36.77 seconds but had a heartbreaking four faults at the final fence.

Sweetnam entered the ring again aboard Cjoxx Z as the last to go with the victory already in hand, but relished the opportunity to make it a one-two finish. After crossing the laser in 40.21 seconds, he bested his previous leading time to secure first and second place on the podium, while Leahy settled for third.

Next fastest of the four-faulters was Lebanese rider Jad Dana who was fourth with After Eight and Portugese rider Luis Sabino Goncalves was fifth with Vick Du Croisy.

Great job

After taking over the reins on Cjoxx Z, a Belgian Warmblood by Comme il Faut out of the Dollar de la Pierre dam Zuhr, just a month ago, Sweetnam commented: “Chris Pratt had been producing him for the last year and has done a great job with him. He’s learning all the time, he’s a very good horse and I’m excited for the future.

“Anderson [Lima] did a very fair job. There were a lot in the class and to have eight clear is a good number. It wasn’t too big, but it was technical with the double verticals and the last line was quite tricky…he got the right number of clears and he got the right winner,” he said.

Second chance

The weekend’s action culminated on Sunday with the $110,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.50m Grand Prix CSI3*, presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

Denying Sweetnam the title here was Austrian rider Peter Petschenig riding Ennebel Van Het Postuus when he rode double clear, jumping off in a time of 36.09.

Despite setting the pace from the outset with a blistering clear, Sweetnam and RR Combella were just shy of half a second behind, finishing in 36.51. USA rider Lacey Gilbertson was third when she broke the beams in 36.98 aboard Holliewood.

Seventh in this class was Ireland’s Nicky Galligan riding Londons De Muze, an Oldinburger by London.

Another Irish result of note came in Saturday’s $20,000 C Jarvis Insurance 1.35m National Prix when Jonathan Corrigan nabbed third place with Jarmensina VDM (Hemes De Lux x Corland). The class was won by USA rider Abigail McArdle and I&H Boogy Woogy with Mexico’s Maya Ines Denis Chambon in third aboard Callypso De La Hamente Z.

Shane Sweetnam is currently 12th in the Longines FEI world rankings, overtaken as leading Irish rider by Daniel Coyle this month.