Shane Sweetnam Claims $215,000 Mars Grand Prix

Shane Sweetnam claimed the Winter Equestrian Festival $215,000 CSI4* Grand Prix for the second victory on the 10-year-old Coriaan van Klapscheut in two months. Shane, who rides for Ireland but is based in Wellington, Florida completed the jump off in 41.4 secs., 0.55 ahead of countryman Bertram Allen on Qonquest de Rigo.

USA's Natalie Dean on Mr Boombastic placed third on 44.03 secs.

Shane competed the Zangersheide gelding in the pair's first international event a year ago at Wellington with six second places in events on both sides of the Atlantic before posting their first victory in November at Wellington.

He described the horse that he found in Sweden as "clever."

"I thought I'd have to take more time but I didn't have many horses at the time and I went I remember the first week here he'd never done an FEI class and he actually ended up being second in the WEF." he said. "And he just sort of really took like a duck to water and was very competitive from the start. Even though he was green, really wants to leave the jumps up and is very competitive. So I'm delighted to get the win, but he's a great horse. He's a funny character. He's very smart, he's very sharp about things, very aware of things."

Results:

CSI4* $215,000 MARS Equestrian Grand Prix

Pl Horse/Rider Jump Off

1. CORIAAN VAN KLAPSCHEUT Z/SHANE SWEETNAM IRL 0 41.4

2. QONQUEST DE RIGO/BERTRAM ALLEN IRL 0 41.95

3. MR BOOMBASTIC/NATALIE DEAN USA 0 44.03

4. TULARA WAT COLBLENSKY/JAMIE WINNING-KERMOND AUS 0 44.59

5. KINGSTON/BLYTHE KAROLYI USA 0 47.08

6. DIOR/ERYNN BALLARD CAN 8 41.66

Photo: Shane Sweetnam of Ireland and Coriaan van Klapscheut. © Ken Braddick/Jumper-News.US