SHANE Sweetnam returns to Europe next month to contest the 25th anniversary of the prestigious Rolex Top 10 final at CHI Geneva in Switzerland. The world number three, contesting his second final, will be among the 10 very best show jumpers in the world looking to win the lion’s share of the €530,000 prize fund (€170,000 to the winner).

Five former winners feature in the field, including defending champion Scott Brash, who will be aiming for a third title, and hometown hero Steve Guerdat, who is bidding to become the first-ever four-time winner after victories in 2010, 2018 and 2023.

France’s Nina Mallevaey made a remarkable ride through the ranks in 2026 and, now ranked number eight, is the only female in the field and the first to contest the final in 10 years, since Pénélope Leprévost in 2016.

To date, just two women have lifted the trophy including Ireland’s current show jumping chef d’equipe Jessica Kürten, who partnered Castle Forbes Libertina to victory in 2007. The other is Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER), who won with the legendary Shutterfly in 2004 and 2006. Billy Twomey is the only other Irish winner having taken the title in 2011 aboard Tinka’s Serenade.

Target

Speaking from his home base in Wellington where he will spend the winter, Sweetnam said: “I think the plan is I’m going to ride Pia Maria in the Top 10 final and hopefully Gizmo (James Kann Cruz) in the Rolex Grand Prix.

“Geneva is one of the targets every year. It’s been a great year and I am definitely appreciative of that and thankful for the horses and owners and the team around me. But if we could win the Geneva Grand Prix or even the Top 10, it would be a great achievement. Last year we were close [second in the Grand Prix], so we’ll be doing our best anyway.”

Sweetnam added that the 2027 target for his top mount James Kann Cruz will be to win one of the big major Grands Prix, with particular focus on Aachen, as well as returning to Dublin for the Rolex Grand Prix. The 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, bred by Patrick Connolly, won the CSIO5* Grand Prix in Falsterbo in July.

“I would like to do the European Championships with one of my other horses. I’m lucky, I have a good team of horses and a few younger ones that will be making the step-up next year. I think I might do the World Cup Finals if I qualify with Pia Maria [they currently lead the North American League standings], so I have a few targets,” he concluded.