Sweetnam places second in Spruce Meadows Grand Prix

CORK’S Shane Sweetnam came very close to delivering a fourth major win for Ireland this weekend when he placed second in the four-star Grand Prix in Spruce Meadows, Canada tonight (Sunday).

The 34 year-old, piloting Spy Coast Farm’s stallion Chaqui Z, registered one of just five double clears in the contest, but was just over a second shy of catching Egypt’s Sameh el Dahan and the Irish Sport Horse Sumas Zorro, which is jointly owned by the rider and Ireland’s Joanne Sloan-Allen.

The Egyptian rider collected 28,000 euro for his win, while Sweetnam picked up 17,000 euro.

Sweetnam had already claimed three third places on consecutive days at the Canadian venue.

Earlier today Tipperary’s Trevor Breen won the famous Hickstead Derby for the second year in a row, this time riding Patricia Brown’s Irish Sport Horse Loughnatousa WB, while in the Netherlands, 19 year-old Wexford rider Bertram Allen won the Geesteren Grand Prix with Ballywalter Farms’s mare Molly Malone V. On Saturday night, Clare’s David Blake was victorious in the Tryon Grand Prix in North Carolina, USA, with Pine Hollow Farm’s Binkie.

Shane Sweetnam and Chaqui Z during the Imperial Challenge at the Spruce Meadows Canada One show jumping tournament.