SHANE Sweetnam came agonisingly close to securing his golden Global Champions Tour Super Grand Prix ticket early in the season when finishing runner-up in the five-star GCT Grand Prix in Miami last Sunday.

One of the most spectacular show jumping venues in the world, the GCT leg of Miami Beach returned after a few years break and while the tight ring isn’t the easiest to navigate, the ocean backdrop just yards from the shoreline is quite spectacular.

Six riders from the 34 starters pulled off first-round clears to qualify for the jump-off, with the two fences hard up along the shoreline side of the arena proving particularly influential.

Germany’s Tobias Meyer was first out the gate and emotions ran high as he produced a double clear in his first-ever LGCT Grand Prix with Greatest Boy H in a time of 39.40 seconds.

Having tasted what the Super Grand Prix was like in 2019 Shane Sweetnam was hungry for his golden ticket. He demolished Meyer’s time and literally soared over the 1.60m jumps to stop the Longines clock in 35.73 and set the new fastest time with Alejandro.

Britain’s Ben Maher had a faster time with Faltic HB but finished with four faults, before Offaly’s Darragh Kenny went even faster with Volnay du Boisdeville (34.63) but a late pole also cost them victory and he had to settle for fifth place.

The crowd roared for Belgian young gun Gilles Thomas and Luna van het Dennehof who nearly knocked Sweetnam off the top, stopping the clock just three-tenths of a second slower but it was the best saved to last. Making sure every rail stayed up even with the pedal to the metal, it was Germany’s Katrin Eckermann who took advantage of her draw to fly over the final fence and claim her second ever LGCT Grand Prix win.

Her round on the nine-year-old Cala Mandia shaved more than a second off the time to beat, handing her the victory and the lion’s share of the class’s €300,000 prize-fund. The mare was competing in her first ever five-star Grand Prix.

“Well I have no words, it has been a long journey, I have had her since she was six years old and it’s her first LGCT. I’m really proud she jumped amazing. I have no words. I’m overwhelmed,” Eckermann said afterwards.

Sweetnam had to settle for second place and €60,000 in prize money.

Galway’s Michael Duffy was denied his place in the jump-off when he had four faults in the first round with Zilton SL Z, but a fast time of 71.03 saw him take ninth place. Also placed in Doha, that result moves Duffy up to second place in the overall GCT standings after two legs.

Swail win

Conor Swail won Friday’s five-star 1.45m class with the 12-year-old gelding Errol (Luidam x Le Tot de Semilly). Swail was clear in 60.18 to finish over a second ahead of American runner-up Spencer Smith and Manhattan (0/ 61.38), while Germany’s Tobias Meyer finished third with Casablanca-H (0/ 61.86).

On Thursday, Jordan Coyle finished fifth in the 1.45m with Centriko Volo when he delivered a clear in 26.09. On Saturday in the 1.55m, Coyle took a third-place finish when he partnered Aristo to a clear in 75.38. Denis Lynch also out lodged a clear round with Brooklyn Heights in a time of 76.27 for sixth place.