SHANE Sweetnam secured another podium position at the weekend, this time at a Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) competition at La Silla in Monterrey, Mexico. This league of five-star events is held at the top venues across North America.
Sweetnam rode RR Combella in the CSI5* $142,500 Afflux 1.55m qualifier on Friday to secure one of only seven clear rounds in the class, with a jump-off time of 38.13 seconds, but they were beaten to the top two places by Germany’s Richard Vogel riding Cepano Baloubet (Chaman x Stakkato’s Highlight) in first (35.61) and Israel’s Ashlee Bond on Donatello 141 in second (36.34).
RR Combella is a nine-year-old bay mare by Cornet Du Lys out of San Jorge Rb Bella Doctra by Indoctro, owned by Sweet Oak Farm and Voquest LLC.
The Irish were well represented in the class and at the show in general. Another of the seven clear rounds in this class went to Co Meath’s Cian O’Connor riding Maurice, who stopped the clock in the jump-off in 42 seconds. Derry’s Jordan Coyle rode For Gold to place ninth in the class with an unfortunate four faults in the jump-off in a time of 39.43 seconds. Conor Swail and Dermott Lennon also competed.
Trailblazers
There was also team excitement in Monterrey as the Trelawny Trailblazers team won Saturday’s $346,000 Cabana Coast 5* Team Competition. The team was made up of Irishman Conor Swail riding Gamble, Egypt’s Nayel Nassar on board Jiminy Cricket and Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet with Nevados S.
They pipped the second placed Spy Coast Spies team to the post, which comprised of Jordan Coyle on For Gold and Shane Sweetnam on RR Combella, along with Ashley Vogel (USA) with Ceres Van Het Moeshof.
Jordan Coyle and Emerald Irish Cruise won the CSI2* 1.35m Afflux class last Thursday, while in Friday’s CSI5* 1.45m Banorte class, Cian O’Connor and Clown of Picobello Z were 10th, with Swail and Gamble just outside the top 10 in 11th place. Jordan Coyle was to the fore again in the CSI2* Six Bar class, which he and King Kannan GP jointly won with Richard Vogel on Stoertebeker 20.
On Saturday, Dermott Lennon and Cordiamo won the CSI2* 1.35m Maestro Dobel class. It was a one-two for Ireland in the CSI5* 1.50m Individual competition, where first place went to Conor Swail on Gamble and second to Jordan Coyle on For Gold; Shane Sweetnam and RR Combella followed them in seventh place.
Swail was the best of the Irish in Sunday’s CSI5* 1.60m Grand Prix, taking eighth place with Theo 160.
Irish horse success
Irish horses also gave a good account of themselves in Monterrey, with Irish Sport Horse Curraghgraigue OBOS Flight claiming first place in the CSI2* 1.40m Two-phase class at the same venue last Thursday (November 9th) with Great Britain’s Matt Sampson in the saddle. This 11-year-old bay stallion was bred in Tipperary by Baden Powell and is owned by the rider and Rachael Evison. He is by OBOS Quality 004 (OLD) out of Curraghgraigue Errigal (ISH)[TIH] by Errigal Flight (ISHI)[TIH].