IRISH riders are starting to arrive back in Wellington, Florida, for the beginning of the winter circuit at Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre and Shane Sweetnam got off to a good start when winning a four-star class at the venue last weekend.

Riding a new horse, the eight-year-old Zangersheide mare Zandora Z, who was recently purchased by his own Sweet Oak Farm and Seabrook LLC, Sweetnam won Friday’s 1.40m class with a clear round in 60.93 seconds.