Sweet Victory for Shane Sweetnam at the American Gold Cup

Shane Sweetnam and Indra Van De Oude Heihoef (Photo: Taylor Renner)

North Salem, N.Y. - Saturday hosted the $86,000 Fidelity Investments® Classic CSI4* at the American Gold Cup, where Irish athletes and Sweet Oak Farm barnmates Shane Sweetnam and Lorcan Gallagher finished one-two in the day's highlight event.

Sweetnam scored a narrow victory over Gallagher aboard Indra Van De Oude Heihoef, owned by The Blue Buckle Group, crossing the finish line just two-tenths of a second faster.

Out of 57 initial international challengers, four were invited to return to the Grand Prix Field at Old Salem Farm, after jumping faultlessly in the first round, to vie for the top prize in an eight-fence jump-off designed by Alan Wade and Nigel Jess.

Andrew Ramsay (USA) and The Doodle Group's Cocq A Doodle, Thursday's winners in the $35,000 Don Little Memorial Welcome Stake CSI4* at the American Gold Cup, kicked off the tiebreaker, finishing on 4 faults in 37.42 seconds.

Shane Sweetnam and Indra Van De Oude Heihoef with Christopher Brehm (left) and wife Sharon (right) of Fidelity Investments. (Photo: Taylor Renner)

 

New York native Georgina Bloomberg (USA) and Gotham Enterprizes, LLC's Manodie II H took their turn on the grass field next and posted the first clear effort in 40.47 seconds. Their lead wouldn't hold for long as Sweetnam and Ivy, barn name of the 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, blazed around the short course, leaving all of the jumps intact and stopping the timers in 39.97 seconds.

Gallagher and the Dacantos Group's Hunters Conlypso II were the final challengers of the jump-off and looked to overtake their teammates' lead, following an almost identical track, but were just off the winning pace in 39.99 seconds. Bloomberg rounded out the top three, while Ramsay claimed fourth place.

The 2017 American Gold Cup culminates with the coveted $216,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping New York CSI4*-W on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m., where the top 40 athletes from Friday's qualifier will go head-to-head for the highly sought-after American Gold Cup.

For more information on the American Gold Cup visit www.theamericangoldcup.com.

For more information on Old Salem Farm, including its year-long competition schedule, prize lists, clinics, boarding, lessons and training, visit oldsalemfarm.net.