MAJOR League Show Jumping moved to Greenwich, Connecticut in the USA at the end of last week and it turned out to be another lucrative show for Cork’s Shane Sweetnam and Offaly’s Darragh Kenny.

Saturday’s five-star $62,500 MLSJ Individual class saw Kenny finish sixth with Chic Chic, while Sweetnam and RR Combella placed ninth. Sweetnam’s double clear round helped the Maccabi United team to win the valuable five-star $200,000 MLSJ Team Competition. Sweetnam’s teammates were Mark Bluman (COL) on Ubiluc and Vanessa Hood (USA) on Burlington Riverland.

Friday saw Kenny taking the top spot in the two-star $31,200 1.45m qualifier speed class on board the nine-year-old mare Serendepety, when they were best of the 53 starters, jumping clear in a fast time of 60.43 seconds – more than two seconds ahead of their nearest challenger, Nicola Philippaerts on Pandora van de Kruishoeve (62.52). Another Irish man, Stephen Moore placed fourth with Vico G in 65.08, while David O’Brien on Fairson TS finished eighth in 66.34.

Runner-up

Kenny took the runner-up spot in the five-star $62,500 1.50m qualifier riding Eddy Blue, jumping double clear in a jump-off time of 37.40 seconds. The class was won by McLain Ward (USA) with Contagious, whose time of 36.79 proved unbeatable.

Saturday’s two-star $32,000 1.45m Grand Prix saw two Irish riders in the top 10, namely Moore on Vico G in sixth place and Kenny on Serendepety in ninth, but an Irish Sport Horse took the top spot, with ESI Ali the winner, ridden by Egypt’s Nayel Nassar.

Sunday saw a sixth-place finish for Jordan Coyle and Jorisca in the five-star $31,200 1.45m Winning Round, while the afternoon’s five-star $200,000 1.60m Grand Prix saw Kenny and Eddy Blue place sixth, followed by Coyle and For Gold in seventh.

Lexington win

Meanwhile, at the three-star show in Lexington, USA, the Irish Sport Horse HHS Seattle, an 11-year-old gelding by Pacino (BWP) out of HHS Chantilly Lace (ISH) by Cavalier Royale, bred by Anne Hughes in Co Kilkenny, won Thursday’s $32,000 1.45m Speed class, ridden by Spencer Smith (USA).

There were a number of Irish competitors at the show, with Kevin Gallagher on Ballerina-Hoem the best of these, placing fourth in Friday’s three-star $35,000 1.45m Welcome class.