CORK’S Shane Sweetnam continued his consistent run over the weekend, when he secured a number of podium finishes across the Atlantic in Florida, riding the nine-year-old gelding Coriaan van Klapscheut Z (Comme Il Faut 5 x Lord Z), with whom he has built a harmonious partnership.

One of Sweetnam’s podium places was in the highlight of the four-star fixture at Wellington over the weekend, the $200,000 1.55m Holiday and Horses Grand Prix on Sunday. The class saw 39 starters, with just eight keeping all the poles in place in the first round. One of these combinations was eliminated in the jump-off, leaving seven to battle it out for placings over a testing track. Only two pairs completed with a clean sheet, the quickest of these being Kent Farrington (USA) on Greya, who stopped the jump-off clock in a time of 39.34 to claim the top prize of $66,000. Fellow American, Hallie Grimes on Karoline of Ballmore had to settle for the runner-up spot with a time of 45.78 for a prize of $40,000.

Sweetnam picked up an unfortunate four faults in the jump-off in a time of 42.46, but pocketed a pleasing sum of $30,000 for his efforts.

In the ribbons

The ESP Holiday and Horses four-star show was held at Wellington International in Florida from November 26th until 30th and saw Irish competitors taking home several ribbons.

Sweetnam got off the mark in Thursday’s four-star $6,000 1.40m two-phase opener, when he placed third for a podium finish with Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z. Of the 44 on the start list, just 20 completed two rounds of jumping, with Sweetnam and his mount incurring a single time penalty in each round, with a second-round time of 32.74. The win went to Jake Ward (GBR) on Dori 66, who picked up one time fault first time out but jumped clear in round two in a time of 29.7. Tiffany Foster (CAN) on Battlecry claimed the runner-up position when, like Sweetnam, she finished with a time penalty in each round, but in a second-round time of 32.26.

There were two Irish men in the top 10 of the day’s four-star $32,000 1.45m two-phase special. Of the 48 starters, 37 proceeded to jump a second round, with just nine managing to remain fault-free. Clare’s Philip McGuane and Coronado, owned by Evergate Stables, jumped double clear in a second-phase time of 38.91, which was good enough for fourth place, while a single time penalty in round one put Jonathan Corrigan on Darius De Kerglenn into 10th place, despite his second-phase time of 36.56. McGuane’s Evergate colleague, Nayel Nassar (EGY), riding Dorado De Riverland won the class, with time of 36.31.

Friday’s four-star $117,000 1.50m qualifier saw a very close finish, with the top three within 0.6 seconds of each other. McGuane was back on the podium with another third-place finish, this time riding Orphea HQ. The pair jumped double clear in a jump-off time of 37.01 to claim the $17,550 third prize. French rider Nina Mallevaey was best of the 50 starters riding the talented 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare My Clementine (OBOS Quality x Qualisca de Vansichant by Kashmir Van Schuttershof, bred by David Prentice) to victory in 36.42. Canada’s Chris Pratt slotted into second place with Ideaal ES (36.96). Twenty combinations had kept the poles intact in round one, with nineteen proceeding to the jump-off, where 13 of them completed double clear.

The four-star $32,000 1.50m Classic on Saturday saw only six of the 40 starters jumping clear. McGuane and Coronado finished on the podium in third place, when they kept a clean sheet in a time of 68.58. Sweetnam followed in sixth with Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z (clear in 75.15). Canada’s Erynn Ballard won the class with New Star VD Berghoeve in 66.62, with Vanessa Hood (ISR) on FBW Graphik in second in 67.98.