Jumping
Ireland's Shane Sweetnam won the $8,000 1.45m jumper competition held Wednesday during the 12th and final week of the CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
Canadian course designer David Ballard set a track that saw six horses jump clear to advance to the jump-off. Only the second rider into the ring, current Olympic champion Rodrigo Pessoa jumped clear to advance to the jump-off with Rufus, his 2007 Pan Am Team Gold and Individual Silver Medal mount. Owned by Double H Farm, Rufus again jumped fault-free with his Brazilian pilot in a time of 41.40 seconds, which would eventually place the pair third in the final standings.
Sweetnam and Little Emir were the next combination to advance to the jump-off, turning in a time of 38.12 seconds to move into the lead. Their time would prove to be unbeatable as Canada's Keean White of Cambridge, Ont., came close but was still more than two full seconds off the winning pace, turning in a time of 40.17 seconds riding Maharaja, an eight-year-old selle francais gelding owned by Angelstone Farms.
Another Canadian, Mac Cone of King City, Ont., was also double clear riding Ole, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, for owners Sara Houstoun and Larry Evoy. They crossed the timers in 43.27 seconds to place fourth in the overall standings.
"It was a nice 1.45m class, not too difficult, and it was a nice class for the horses. It didn't over face them, but they also had to work a little bit," said Sweetnam, 27, of the course set in the International Arena.
Little Emir, a 10-year-old German-bred gelding owned by Spy Coast Farm LLC, last competed in the International Arena on March 16 during the $200,000 CN WorldWide Grand Prix, having also jumped a clear round for Ireland two days earlier in the $75,000 FEI Nations' Cup.
"I hadn't jumped him since the $200,000 Grand Prix and I just wanted to bring him out and jump him in this class and then do the 1.50m on Friday," said Sweetnam of his plan during the final week of competition with Little Emir.
Sweetnam, who hails from County Cork and has been based in the United States for four years, has been riding Little Emir for the past six months.
"He has a strong personality, he's very brave, and always wants to do his job correctly," said Sweetnam, who spends nine months of the year based in Wellington, Fla., and the other three in Kentucky.
Week 12 of the 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, continues through Sunday, April 6, and features the Young Horse Finals as well as several Invitational Classics.
The 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, attracts the best horses and riders from around the world to Wellington, Fla., and offers more than $5 million in prize money. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
Results of Class 1002 - $8,000 1.45m Jumper Timed First Jump-off
1 3111 LITTLE EMIR SHANE SWEETNAM 0.00 74.773 0.00 38.124
SPY COAST FARM LLC
2 3379 MAHARAJA KEEAN WHITE 0.00 75.260 0.00 40.171
ANGELSTONE FARMS
3 261 RUFUS RODRIGO PESSOA 0.00 76.187 0.00 41.409
DOUBLE H FARM
4 2622 OLE MAC CONE 0.00 75.129 0.00 43.271
SARA HOUSTOUN & LARRY EVOY
5 5515 QARCO V'T MERELSNEST ROBIN SWEELY 0.00 75.173 4.00 40.357
ACORN HILL
6 1929 JOLLY MOME JUDY GAROFALO 0.00 74.571 4.00 41.085
JOLLY GROUP
7 3112 TRIVIANT SHANE SWEETNAM 4.00 74.749
CURTIS LOURIE GROUP
8 302 AMBRA 47 FEDERICO SZTYRLE 4.00 74.869
CHRISTIAN WOLFFER
9 1983 SWEETHEART JOHN MCCREA 5.00 78.170
CANDY TRIBBLE & WINDSOR SHOW STABLES
10 9060 RMW NEW DAY MARY SHIRLEY 7.00 80.196
EDWARDO SALAS JON SHIRLEY
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