Bridgehampton, NY - In a five horse jump-off Shane Sweetnam of Ireland claimed victory in the $10,000 Great Southwest Equestrian Center Open Jumper 1.45 m class at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Katie Cox was second and Beezie Madden, in her first competition since riding on the U.S.'s silver medal team at the Rio Olympic Games, was third.

  

Madden was the first to go in the jump-off riding Coach, owned by Abigail Wexner. They handled the shortened Alan Wade designed course easily, going clear in a time of 40.230 seconds. Sweetnam went next on Sweet Oak Farm's Main Road, the first of his two mounts in the jump-off, and shaved two seconds off the time for a clean round time of 38.143. Lorcan Gallagher and Diktator Van De Boslandhoeve, owned by Spy Coast Farm, were clear but slow with 40.997 seconds. Katie Cox was clear on Hocus Pocus VH Hof Ter Heide, owned by KLC Investment Group LLC, but stopped the clock at 39.008 meaning that Sweetnam only had to beat himself with Cantero Da Lagoa, also owned by Sweet Oak Farm, but the pair had a rail down. Even though he had two in the jump-off Sweetnam thought that he might have had the edge with Main Road.

 

"He is the quicker of the two horses," said Sweetnam. "I had an idea of what Beezie had done so I just thought about trying to be quicker than her and then see where I would end up. My second horse was still the second fastest in the class, so it was important to try to get a result with him too."

 

Earlier in the day, two $10,000 Open Jumper 1.40 meter classes were held in the Grand Prix ring. Georgina Bloomberg of NY, NY and South Street, owned by Gotham Enterprizes, were the fastest of 17 clear rounds out of the field of 45 to win Section A in a time of 54.582 seconds. Richie Moloney was second on Elouise De Muse, owned by Equinimity LLC, with 56.017 and Andrew Kocher finished third on Tresor Platiere in 56.328 seconds. 

 

"It's always special to win at the Hampton Classic. It's an amazing horse show so it's nice to start it off on a good note and give me confidence for the rest of the week," said Bloomberg. "It was a great course that really used the ring. This horse goes faster than anyone else without even trying, so my plan was to let her go and try to get a good ribbon."

                               Todd Minikus and Vita 24 Top the Shamrock Ventures Jumper Class

In the $10,000 Shamrock Ventures Open Jumper class, Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee, FL, picked the fastest track out of the 11 clear rounds with Vita 24, owned by Two Swans Farm, to win in time of 53.788 seconds. "I turned back pretty nice to fences 3AB and to the last line and I think that both those left hand turns are where I nipped them," said Minikus. "It's always nice to win anywhere, but especially at the Hampton Classic. It's a good way to get the week started."

 

Victoria Colvin and Austria 2, owned by Take the High Road, LLC, were second going in 54.116 seconds and third went to Richie Moloney on Slieveanorra, owned by Equinimity LLC, in 54.170. 

 

Those second and third ribbons in the 1.40 m jumper classes helped Moloney take the lead in the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenge with 126.5 points. Last year's winner, Sweetnam is hot on his heels in second place with 102.5 points.