CORK’S SWEETNAM WINS YET AGAIN AT FLORIDA WINTER FESTIVAL

CORK’S Shane
Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm’s Cyklon opened the 11th week of the Florida Winter
Equestrian Festival tonight (Wednesday) with victory in the $34,000 1m45 speed
class, marking the Irish rider’s fifth world ranking competition win of the
circuit at the Palm Beach venue.

Thirty-three year-old US-based Sweetnam
also took fifth place in the speed class tonight aboard the Irish Sport Horse
Solerina, with whom he won the same competition last Wednesday.

Sweetnam
has been on a roll in this year’s ranking classes and noted that his horses have
stepped it up a notch in 2014.

“I have never won that many, but last
year I think I was in the hunt a lot,” Sweetnam stated after the competition. “I
had a lot of seconds last year in those ranking classes and I won one Grand Prix
and was second and third in other Grand Prix classes. I was close to having that
many wins, but I just didn’t get them, and this year those two horses (Cyklon
and Solerina) have been great. They have been really up there in nearly every
speed class, so it has been really nice.” 

“Cyklon does cover the
ground,” Sweetnam added. “He is always galloping, so he is always quick. The
course was delicate, but he is really careful and he is always trying to leave
the jumps up. I think we were a little lucky to the water today. He helped me
out a little bit, and other than that, he was very
good.”

ends

BREEDING

Solerina (ISH) – 1999 chestnut mare by
Cruising (ISH) out of Diamond Ballerina (ISH), by Diamond Lad (ID). Bred by Dr
Noel Cawley, Co. Kildare. Owner: Sweet Oak Farm & Spy Coast Farm. Rider:
Shane Sweetnam (IRL)