Aboard his 2024 Olympic Games mount, Sweetnam topped a 10-horse jump-off set by course designer and fellow Irishman Alan Wade, clocking a winning time of 33.71 seconds..

The US-based Cork-born rider said of his partner, James Kann Cruz,

“We are having a great career together and ‘Gizmo’ is fresh right now, so I wanted to give this class today some respect for $117,000 and try to win it.”

Of his 12-year-old Irish-bred gelding (Kannan x Cruising) owned in partnership with the Gizmo Group, Sweetnam added:

“He’s very sensitive. But if you do the right things, you get a reward for it, so it’s worth it. He feels great and jumped fantastic today, so hopefully we’ll have some luck on Sunday.”

Sweetnam won the American Gold Cup at Traverse City Horse Shows in both 2022 and 2024.

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The high quality class saw 40 horse and rider combinations tackle Alan Wade’s course, but it was the penultimate combination to jump who produced the only clear round of the final day feature competition.

The veteran US rider took the €166,000 winner’s prize on the Cherry Knoll Farm-owned mare.

Former Ireland chef d’équipe Rodrigo Pessoa and Major Tom claimed the runner-up position with the fastest of 11 four-fault scores. The Brazilian and his partner clocked 73.61 seconds to take home €100,000.

US-based Cork rider Shane Sweetnam finished best of the Irish in third place on the podium with CSF James Kann Cruz, stopping the timers at 74.39 seconds, to win €75,000.

Seven nationalities were represented in the top-10 of the five star €500,000 Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland, with combinations from Germany, Britain, Canada and Mexico joining the three countries represented on the podium.

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The win was a third Aga Khan Trophy success for the Dutch, who finished the competition as the only team on a zero score.

The winning team consisted of Frank Schuttert (Isis), Kevin Jochem (Camilla Van De Helle), William Greve (Grandorado TN N.O.P.) and Harrie Smolders (Mr. Tac).

Smolders, the anchor rider for the Dutch, knew he couldn’t afford to knock a fence in the second round, as four faults would have seen a jump-off between the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany.

The foot perfect round by Smolders and Mr. Tac gave the Dutch their first Aga Khan win since 2010.

Ireland and Germany finished level on four faults, but with the Germans faster combined times, they were placed second, ahead of the home nation.

The two younger Irish riders on the team, 20-year-old Tom Wachman and 23-year-old Séamus Hughes Kennedy both produced double clear rounds on their mounts Tabasco De Toxandria Z and ESI Rocky respectively.

Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and Vistogrand, the Irish pathfinders, had four faults in both rounds.

Cian O’Connor and Bentley De Sury had one fence down in the first round, before going clear in the second.

The defending Aga Khan champions, the USA, finished in fourth position, ahead of the British in fifth, and Canada in sixth. Mexico took seventh position, with Switzerland in eighth.

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Taylor Vard’s team of Thomas Ryan, Jessica Burke, Kevin Gallagher and Jenny Rankin finished the two rounds of jumping with just four faults.

Tipperary’s Ryan with Springfield 21 and Sligo’s  Gallagher with Ballypatrick Flamenco (ISH) both jumped foot-perfect double clear rounds.

Galway’s Jessica Burke with Namamia and Tyrone’s Jenny Rankin with Carmela Z were also clear in the first round.

A jump-off was needed to decide the winners with Belgium coming out on top ahead of Spain in second and Ireland in third.

The remaining qualifying places for the EEF Nations Cup Final went to Sweden and Portugal.

The Longines EEF Series is a Show Jumping Nations Cup circuit created by the European Equestrian Federation which replaced the FEI Nations Cup Europe Division 2.

Ireland is a Europe Division 1 nation but can field teams in selected EEF Series rounds.

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The event will be live on RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Players as Michael Blake’s Irish team chase points in Europe’s top division.

Irish Show Jumping team manager Michael Blake has named his four team members, with Ireland drawn first too jump of the eight teams.

Derry’s Daniel Coyle with Legacy will be the pathfinders. Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and Brooklyn Heights will be next into the main arena for Ireland. Another Tipperary man Trevor Breen with Highland President will be the team’s third representative in the class. Cork’s Shane Sweetnam and the Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz (ISH) will be on the anchor leg.

Ireland will compete against The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden and Britain today.

Italy will also be among the starters but as a non-Division 1 team are not eligible for league points. The home Dutch team are defending champions, with Ireland’s last win in Rotterdam coming in 2000.

Ireland’s first points-scoring round in Europe Division 1 saw them collect 70 league points following a fourth place finish at Sopot in Poland.

Ireland’s remaining points scoring opportunities after today will be at Hickstead on July 29th and Ireland’s home Nations Cup for the Aga Khan Trophy at the Dublin Horse Show on Friday August 19^th. Both of these Longines FEI Nations Cup competitions will also be broadcast live on RTÉ.

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Both Conor Swail and Jordan Coyle achieved wins at the Canadian venue on the opening week of the Spruce Meadows’ season.

Conor Swail and Nadal Hero & DB came out best of over 50 entries in The Bantrel Cup in the-one round competition.

Riders needed to be clear and quick if they wanted to reach the winner’s circle. It was Ireland’s World number 5 ranked rider Swail with Nadal Hero & DB that set an unbeatable time of 68.36 seconds. The Irish combination was just over 2 seconds faster than Mexico’s Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane.

Ireland’s Jordan Coyle aboard Ballyoskill Big Bucks laid down the fastest clear round with a time of 70.95 seconds in The Mercier Cup. The top 5 placings from this competition qualify for Sunday’s ATCO CSI2* Grand Prix.

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A very close competition saw Ireland among five teams sharing the lead on a zero score following the first round.

Irish Chef d’Equipe Taylor Vard saw three clear rounds from his opening three riders. Tipperary’s Thomas Ryan (Springfield 21), Cork’s Jeremy Sweetnam (Brown Star Z) and Wexford’s Harry Allen (Over Lux (ISH) all jumped clear. That meant Ireland’s last combination, Waterford’s Comdt Geoff Curran with Glengarra Wood (ISH), didn’t need to jump in the opening round.

Ryan and Sweetnam completed double clear rounds second time out. Bertram Allen came home with four faults picked up at the water. As the competition came down to the last line riders, Ireland, Brazil and Belgium were the three teams that could finish on a zero score.

Brazil were to finish on a final score of one time fault. Ireland’s Geoff Curran picked up four faults near the end of his round, and Belgium finished on the same score.

Brazil took the victory with Ireland second as the fastest of the teams that finished on four faults. Third place went to Belgium.

Ireland will be in five-star Longines FEI Nations Cup action at Sopot in Poland this weekend.

The competition will be shown live on the RTÉ News Channel from 1pm on Sunday afternoon.

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The Tipperary rider was one of only six of the 53 starters to make it into the jump-off.

Rio Olympian Greg Broderick claimed victory aboard the gelding by four seconds at the finish – the fastest of four double clear rounds.

Jason Higgins took runner-up spot with Rincoola Milsean. Britain’s Alicia Page finished in third place with Diacento.

Greg Broderick completed an excellent afternoon by also taking fourth spot aboard Coolivio PS. Derek McConnell finished fifth with Dothraki Warlord while Jenny Rankin completed the top six with Carmela Z,

Result – Mullingar International CSI2* Grand Prix

1) Greg Patrick Broderick IRL – Gradje O 0-0/40.80

2) Jason Higgins IRL – Rincoola Milsean 0-0/44.84

3) Alicia Page GBR – Diacento 0-0/45.09

4) Greg Patrick Broderick IRL – Coolivio PS 0-0/46.64

5) Derek McConnell IRL – Dothraki Warlord 0-8/46.66

6) Jenny  Rankin IRL – Carmela Z  0-21/56.75

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With only two hundredths of a seconds separating the top two finishers, the Sligo rider took the win ahead of Clem McMahon.

Ten combinations made it through to the jump-off. Gallagher crossed the line clear in 33.82 seconds with the 11-year-old gelding owned by Greg Broderick Ballypatrick Stables.

Clem McMahon with Hilton Pacato (ISH) claimed runner-up spot with another clear in 33.84 seconds. Third place went to Francis Derwin (Jnr) with AHG Whiterock Cruise Down (ISH) with the only other double clear in 36.38 seconds.

Daren Hopkins and Numero Cruise were the fastest of the four fault scores from the jump-off to finish fourth. Fifth place went to Greg Broderick and Gradje O. Jason Foley and and MHS Jersey Girl completed the top six.

The second leg of the Horse Sport Ireland Premier Series will take place at Portmore on May 23rd.

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The Waterford rider took first and second place in what was a very competitive class.

Early to go in the competition, Connors delivered a clear with Luxtapose, in a time of 32.98 seconds. This was the winning time in the €2,000 class. The winner, Luxapose, is a ten-year-old gelding by Lux Z and out of the Cruising sired dam, Coosan Lass.

Returning with Rossa Lough Derg, he was almost four seconds slower when clocking 36.44 seconds. The time, however, was good enough for the runner-up spot. Rossa Lough Derg is an eight-year-old mare by Luidam and out of Cruising Lough Derg.

Jason Foley partnered Killossery Krescendo to a clear in 36.45 seconds, with the eight-year-old by Indoctro out of Killossery Kruisette, taking third place.

Slotting into fourth place was Jenny Rankin on Hey Jude, clear in 36.70 seconds. This Belgian bred gelding is by Ugano Sitte and is out of Athena van de Donkhoeve.

A clear from Madeline Roberts Allen and her own Celah Sue De Rialfo Z in 36.89 seconds proved good enough for fifth place.

Completing the top six line-up was Wicklow’s Brendan Murphy and PNP Rocco, when they crossed the line in 38.06 seconds.

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