Shane Sweetnam Wins the Rolex Grand Prix of Falsterbo with a Stunt

Praise came from all sides for Frank Rothenberger’s course design in the Rolex Grand Prix at Falsterbo, which featured a water jump, triple and double combinations, and a colorful mix of long lines and tricky distances. Riders who maintained a good rhythm and stayed focused from jump to jump were rewarded. That was the case for 13 pairs. Unfortunately, however, it was not the case for André Thieme and Chakaria. The mare stumbled in the water jump, approached the subsequent triple combination out of rhythm, and then the mistakes began to pile up. In the end, the designated World Championship pair had 16 faults.

Things went better for the other German European Championship rider, Richard Vogel, riding his Aachen reserve horse, Cloudio. After the pair seemed to be a bit off their game in the Nations Cup, the Casall son was back in top form today and was one of the fastest riders to complete a clear round in the first round. That was important, because in the jump-off, riders started in reverse order of their rankings from the first round.

Shane Sweetnam and his Olympic partner James Kann Cruz—who has been jumping consistently well—set out from the very first obstacle that day to secure the best starting position in the jump-off. Even in the regular course, the gray horse was unbeatably fast with his powerful canter, and as a result, they were allowed to be the last to compete against the clock. That turned out to be an advantage.

The pricking

Ben Maher’s Swedish stallion Point Break was in top World Championship form, jumping two confident clear rounds, but Maher didn’t take too many risks in the jump-off. The same couldn’t be said for Denmark’s Andreas Schou and his 13-year-old athletic Belgian, Napoli vh Nederassenthof. The key challenge of this jump-off was a tight turn onto a plank, in front of which Rothenberger had placed a block, effectively serving as a turning marker. Riders could choose to go around it—or not. Schou opted for the latter, working the horse hard, and Napoli gave it his all. Their efforts were rewarded: with a clear round in 39.98 seconds, they took the lead.

The fact that what looks fast isn’t always efficient was demonstrated by Steve Guerdat and his horse Iashin Sitte. The chestnut has a rather flat, effortless canter. But he’s as agile as a cat, and Steve Guerdat doesn’t waste any energy on elaborate maneuvers in the saddle. With minimal input from the rider, he guided his chestnut horse with pinpoint precision across the finish line in an incredible 38.68 seconds. He was rightly delighted—but it was too soon to celebrate.

Next up were Richard Vogel and Cloudio, and no jumping competition is won until Vogel crosses the finish line. It was actually hard to imagine that Geurdat’s time could still be beaten. But Vogel approached the first obstacle with speed—a pace he never really lost throughout the entire course—which allowed him not only to take a shortcut around the turn but also to save time on the distances. It was only five hundredths of a second, though. Yet it was enough to push Guerdat down to second place for the time being.

Then it was the last pair’s turn: Sweetnam and his 13-year-old gray by Kannan. If this had been a jump-off indoors, the towering Irishman would likely have had a tough time. But on the large grass course at Falsterbo, Sweetnam was able to take full advantage of the long gallop, covering every distance with the fewest possible strides—he even remarked afterward that he could have skipped a stride or two. There was a hair-raising moment in that turn. Unlike Iashin Sitte, James Kann Cruz doesn’t have 1,000 feet to keep him steady in such moments. He slipped, but immediately regained his footing and made a massive leap over the steep jump, which instantly got him back on track. As he flew across the finish line, the clock stopped at 37.68 seconds.

Sweetnam’s joy knew no bounds, and the Swedish crowd celebrated him as a deserving winner. Later, in an interview, Sweetnam said, “He (James Kann Cruz) really deserved this win! He was second in Dinard, second in Geneva—it was our turn this time.” He was also asked whether Richard Vogel had congratulated him: “Yes, he did. But then again, he’s already won enough!”

You can find all the results here.