LAST Sunday, amidst the electric atmosphere of the Rolex Grand Prix of Geneva, Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz (Kannan x Cruising) delivered a masterclass under pressure.

Bred by Shane and Patrick Connolly, the pair secured a brilliant runner-up finish against a world-class field. On ratings, this was one of the top six strongest individual fields we have seen at five-star level over the last 15 years. It wasn’t a one-off. It was, in fact, their sixth consecutive podium finish in a five-star Grand Prix. When this pair arrive in a CSI5* 1.60m jump-off, they very rarely miss. From the 20 they have contested, Geneva was their 18th podium finish.