Shane Sweetnam is Tops Two Days in a Row, Taking the $70,000 LONGINES Cup CSI4* at the 43rd Hampton Classic

Bridgehampton, N.Y. – Sept. 1, 2018 – The Irish flag flew once again the Hampton Classic for Shane Sweetnam with a win in Saturday’s $70,000 LONGINES Cup aboard the Blue Buckle Group’s Indra van de Oude Heihoef, following the pair’s victory Friday in the $75,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Qualifier CSI4*. It was also two years in a row for Sweetnam, as he won this class in 2017 with another of his top mounts, Main Road.

Shane Sweetnam and Indra van de Oude Heihoef. Photo: © Shawn McMillen
Shane Sweetnam and Indra van de Oude Heihoef. Photo: © Shawn McMillen

Just five of the 33 horse-and-rider combinations that attempted the course designed by Canada’s Michel Vaillancourt were able to post clean rounds and progress to the jump-off.

America’s Spencer Brittan, 20, and Uncle Blue were first to jump off, and they went for the safe clear, hoping a clean round would keep them close to the top. Peter Lutz was next with Sam, who unfortunately lowered the last jump on course. Canada’s Mario Deslauriers went third, with the youngest horse in the LONGINES Cup, eight-year-old Amsterdam. They would eventually finish in third place with a clean round in a time of 38.53 seconds.

Sweetnam was next to go, and if Indra van de Oude Heihoef was tired from Friday’s efforts, she didn’t show it. They put in a foot-perfect round to jump clean in a time of 36.61 seconds.

Second place finisher and four-time winner of the LONGINES Rider Challenge at the Hampton Classic, Richie Moloney jumped last with Rocksy Music. They too jumped clean but were not able to catch their teammate’s time, finishing ever so slightly off the pace in 36.90 seconds.

Sweetnam has nothing but praise for the 10-year-old mare Indra, who jumped her first grand prix at the Hampton Classic one year ago.

Pascal Savoy, U.S. Brand President, Longines Watch presents to winning rider Shane Sweetnam pictured with Shanette Barth Cohen, executive director of the Hampton Classic. Photo: © Shawn McMillen
Pascal Savoy, U.S. Brand President, Longines Watch presents to winning rider Shane Sweetnam pictured with Shanette Barth Cohen, executive director of the Hampton Classic. Photo: © Shawn McMillen

“She’s super talented,” Sweetnam said, stating the obvious. “She showed real heart and desire to get the job done two days in a row. Last year was her first grand prix, here in the Hamptons, and she’s really a bright light for the future.”

 

Sweetnam holds onto the lead in the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenge with 405 points. Moloney sits in second with 294 points and Mexico’s Santiago Lambre is third with 220 points. The Challenge will be awarded Sunday, following the $300,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix presented by Douglas Elliman.

Sunday’s featured hunter competition in the Anne Aspinall ring is the $10,000 Hermès Hunter Classic. It will be followed by the presentation of the Grand Hunter Championship and Leading Hunter, Junior Hunter & Rider and Junior Equitation awards.

Festivities in the Grand Prix Ring begin with the $25,000 DAWTS Jumping Derby followed by the grand finale –the $300,000 Hampton Classic Grand Prix CSI4* presented by Douglas Elliman which will begin at 1:00pm.

RESULTS

$70,000 LONGINES Cup CSI4*
Place / Horse / Rider / R1 Faults | Time / R2 Faults | Time
1. Indra Van De Oude Heihoef / Shane Sweetnam / 0 | 78.160 / 0 | 36.610
2. Rocksy Music / Richie Moloney / 0 | 79.800 / 0 | 36.900
3. Amsterdam 27 / Mario Deslauriers / 0 | 79.440 / 0 | 38.530
4. Uncle Blue / Spencer Brittan / 0 | 80.720 / 0 | 40.120
5. Sam 1091 / Peter Lutz / 0 | 80.460 / 4 | 40.190
6. Zerro Leone / Martien Van Der Hoeven / 4 | 76.610
7. Cassandra / Molly Ashe Cawley / 4 | 76.900
8. Crack Elle Chavannaise / Mattias Tromp / 4 | 77.430
9. Havana De La Lande / Elisa Uribe / 4 | 77.920
10. Copain Z / Cormac Hanley / 4 | 77.950
11. Super Chilled / Kevin Babington / 4 | 78.050
12. Alma Z / Cormac Hanley / 4 | 80.090

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