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It s gearing up to be another memorable year for equestrian ace Shane Sweetnam after the Castlemagner native beat stiff opposition to clinch victory at a five-star event in Palm Beach, Florida.
The 40-year-old, who is based in Florida, edged a dramatic jump-off in the Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival in the Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre.
The event, which featured a field of 40 entrants, including five of the world s top-10 ranked riders, saw Sweetnam and his 12-year-old Reinlander gelding Alejandro emerge victorious following the nine-rider jump-off - earning them a cool $132,330 in the process.
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Riders taking part in the Great Charity Challenge at the Winter Equestrian Festival took fancy dress to the next level in Florida last week (6 February), celebrating the heroes of the pandemic.
The Great Charity Challenge (GCC) is an exciting annual showjumping event which has distributed nearly $16million over the past 12 years, with teams of three consisting of junior and amateur riders competing alongside top professionals, including Olympians, for top honours.
But what is usually the biggest night of the 12-week WEF was scaled back this year to a mix of in-person competition for riders and virtual celebration for charities and supporters, who cheered on the teams representing local non-profit organisations for a share of more than $1million in prize-money.
Victoria ‘Tori’ Colvin began riding and showing ponies at a young age and has since gone onto be one of the most accomplished hunter riders in the USA. Victoria is a six-time winner of the prestigious $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, held at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).
We find out a little more about the leading show rider…
Victoria Colvin runs her own business specialising in hunter/jumpers just outside of Wellington, Florida. As well as coaching and training, she focuses her time on producing young show horses.
Her first big triumphs came during her junior career at the USEF pony finals where she took numerous championships over the years. She also won five best child rider accolades at the Devon Horse Show and County Fair as well as various titles in equitation and junior hunter classes at shows across the country.
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1. Jennifer Gates
Twenty-four-year old Jennifer’s dad is none other than Bill Gates, the Microsoft squillionaire himself. The oldest of the three Gates children, Jennifer is a talented rider, making a name for herself on the US showjumping circuit. Her proud father regularly watches her compete, and in 2014 bought a huge estate with top-notch equestrian facilities in Wellington, Florida. Jennifer works hard, though, and graduated from Stanford University in 2018 with a degree in human biology and more recently attended medical school in New York City.
2. Gemma Owen
Seventeen-year-old Gemma’s dad is footballer Michael Owen. Together with his horse-mad wife Louise, Michael owns and breeds racehorses at their home in Cheshire. Gemma has represented Wales in dressage, and was the proud owner of Der Kleine Lord, a top international dressage pony who won team silver and individual bronze for Great Britain. She is now competing at prix st george and int