FRESH from helping Ireland secure Olympic qualification at the FEI Jumping World Championships in Aachen, Shane Sweetnam was back to winning ways in the USA last weekend. He raced to victory in Saturday’s $62,500 jump-off class at the five-star Hampton Classic in New York.

The world number three was the best of just three double clears in the competitive 12-horse jump-off, blazing to the top of the leaderboard in 42.88 seconds aboard Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z, the 10-year-old gelding by Comme Il Faut who, owned by Sweetnam and Voquest LLC, jumped clear for Ireland in the Aga Khan Nations Cup at the Dublin Horse Show last month.

Sweetnam was a full second faster than second-place finisher Nayel Nassar (EGY). Nassar’s time of 43.89 seconds aboard Crislin Van Den Bosrand Z, the nine-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by Evergate Stables LLC, ultimately held on for second place. Third went to Mexico’s Tanimara Maria Macari Carrillo and Quenala T, Rupert Winkelmann’s 10-year old Hanoverian mare. Although the pair were faster than Sweetnam and Coriaan over the initial course, they returned over the shortened track with a time of 44.93 seconds. Ireland’s Jonathan Corrigan finished in ninth place with Hunter Des Forets after four faults in each round.

“Coriaan naturally is a very fast horse,” Sweetnam said. “I’d seen Nayel go and I knew I had to be at least that quick with a couple of fast riders coming after me; Jordan (Coyle) and Daniel (Bluman) still had to go as well. I knew I had to take every chance I could. I got a good rhythm at the start of the course, and I took every chance we had, and he really responded and stayed with me. It worked out well for us today.

“It was a bit of an awkward jump-off where the horses had to be sharp, looking for the next jump, so luckily for me, my horse was in that zone.”

Sweetnam was ninth in Sunday’s $400,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix aboard Pia Maria H after they picked up five faults in the first round, earning $8,000. Victory and the top prize of $120,000 went to the USA’s world number one Kent Farrington riding Greya, best of just two double clears in 41.82. He saw off the challenge from his teammate McLain Ward with Lestro VD Valckenborg in second (0/0 42.56).