Shane Sweetnam of Ireland and Eregast Van't Kiezelhof turned in the winning performance in the $10,000 Bright Side Farm Open Jumper at the Hampton Classic. (McMillen photo)
On Eregast Van't Kiezelhof, Sweetnam, 34, just edged Peter Leone on Wayfarer (34.46 seconds) and Molly Ashe-Cawley on Balous Day Date (35.20 seconds).
On Wednesday, Sweetnam rode Venturo 9 to victory in the $10,000 Marders Open Jumper. The 100 points he earned from these two victories have given him a commanding lead of 204 points to 113 points over Wilton Porter of Bartonville, Texas, in the $30,000 Longines Leading Rider Challenge.
Amanda Derbyshire (105) stands third in the Longines rankings, followed by Irishmen Richie Moloney (102) and Paul O'Shea (90). Leone is eighth with 65 points.
In both the Marders and the Bright Side Farm classes, riders jumped off immediately after recording faultless first rounds. Sweetnam went early in the order on Wednesday with Venturo and late with Eregast Van't Kiezelhof in both classes. On Wednesday he recorded an unbeatably fast time on Venturo and then coasted to fifth place with Eregast.
On Thursday, though, Venturo lowered two rails in the first round, so he had to ride for the win on Eregast as the third-last starter.
"I think Venturo was a little bit empty after yesterday, because I went so fast. But with Eregast, I hadn't pushed the buttons so much yesterday," said Sweetnam. "Normally I would have given Venturo the day off between classes, but that didn't work out this time with the way the show ran."
So the strategy he set in place on Wednesday paid off with a second victory on Thursday. "If I said it was plan, it would sound great, but it wasn't," said Sweetnam with a smile. "It worked out with Venturo yesterday, and today Eregast was in a better place because he wasn't pushed, and, for sure, that's what did it."
On Wednesday Sweetnam took a shot and then bit his nails, nervously watching the riders after him. On Thursday he knew exactly what he had to do after Eregast cruised around the first round.
"My horse has a very good stride, and I watched Peter go and saw that he did eight strides from fence 3 to 4 in the jump-off. So I did one less, and that's easily done with my horse because he has such a big stride. I think that was the difference," said Sweetnam.
More About the Classic
The Hampton Classic, the prestigious culminating event of the Hamptons' famed summer season, runs August 23-30 in Bridgehampton, NY, hosting its 40th year of world-class equestrian competition. Many of the world's top jumper and hunter riders come from across the country and beyond to compete for their share of some of the richest prize money in the nation.
The Hampton Classic features six show rings, a Boutique Garden with more than 70 vendors, and a wide selection of dining options and a Farmer's Market, all on its 60-acre show grounds. With its top competition and pristine setting, The Hampton Classic is not just a place to see, it's also a place to be seen. Just in the last two years, A-list celebrities such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jennifer Lopez, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Matt Lauer, Kelly Ripa, Julianne Moore, Sofia Vergara and Mary-Kate Olsen have been in attendance.
The Hampton Classic hosts more than 100 classes of competition for horses and riders of all ages and abilities. A wide range of hunter, jumper and equitation classes are offered from leadline classes all the way up to the grand prix level. The Classic also has classes for riders with disabilities. The Classic culminates on Sunday, August 30, "Grand Prix Sunday," with an impressive schedule of classes including three finals - the $30,000 7-Year-Old Young Jumper Championship Finals, the $25,000 Campbell Stables Show Jumping Derby, and the $250,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix Presented by LONGINES - in the Grand Prix Ring, as well as the $10,000 Hermès Hunter Classic in the Anne Aspinall Ring.
Further information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show is available at the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com or by calling 631-537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.