Sweetnam goes close in Kentucky GP as Swail is on the victory trail

Conor Swail was a five-star winner in Lexington during the week, while also posting third- and fourth-place finishes on the Split Rock Tour, where Darragh Kenny and Simon McCarthy secured silver medals. Shane Sweetnam went close to topping all that though, when runner-up in the in the $400,000 Grand Prix at Kentucky International on Saturday night. Sweetnam continued the stunning form of the Irish at the five-star show, combining with the Patrick Connolly-bred, James Kann Cruz (ISH) for a brilliant double clear (photographed above courtesy of Split Rock Tour). There were 40 participants in the 1.60m class, nine of which made it to the jump-off. Three of those were Irish, with Swail coming in eighth with Casturano, and Darragh Kenny seventh, with Eddy Blue. Only a quartet managed double clears and though Sweetnam and his 12-year-old Olympic partner were quick in navigating the tie-breaker in 45 seconds, American Kent Farrington […]