Cork duo Twomey and Sweetnam both record double victories in Spain and USA
- 2 September 2018, 11:46
Irish Show Jumping riders continue to rack up impressive wins this weekend on both sides of the Atlantic, with Cork duo Billy Twomey and Shane Sweetnam both scoring their second victories in the space of a few days yesterday (Saturday).
At Gijon in Spain, Twomey had already taken a win with Diaghilev in Wednesday’s two phase 1m50. He added a second victory on Saturday when he guided the 9-year-old gelding Kimba Flamenco to the fastest clear in the 1m60 jump-off, while Galway’s Michael Duffy finished fourth with Casis.
It was Ireland’s fourth win in total this week in Gijon, with Limerick’s Paul Kennedy and Waterford’s Anthony Condon adding to Irish success while Michael Blake’s Irish team finished joint fourth in Friday’s Gijon Nations Cup.
Meanwhile in the USA, Kanturk’s Shane Sweetnam and Indra van de Oude Heihoef, owned by the Blue Buckle Group, made it two wins in the space of 24 hours when taking the $70,000 Longines Cup at the 43rd Hampton Classic in New York.
It was also two years in a row for Sweetnam, as he won this class in 2017 with another of his top mounts, Main Road.
Sweetnam has nothing but praise for the 10-year-old mare Indra, who jumped her first Grand Prix at the Hampton Classic one year ago.
“She’s super talented,” Sweetnam said. “She showed real heart and desire to get the job done two days in a row. Last year was her first Grand Prix, here in the Hamptons, and she’s really a bright light for the future.”
Photo – Pascal Savoy, U.S. Brand President, Longines Watch presents to winning rider Shane Sweetnam. With Savoy is Shanette Barth Cohen, executive director of the Hampton Classic. © Shawn McMillen
Back in Europe at the Stephex Masters in Belgium, Waterford’s Peter Moloney has been crowned leading rider of the show in the three-star competitions, collecting a new Stephex Horse Truck.
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