Press release from Traverse City Horse Shows, edited by World of Showjumping

At sixteen years of age, Olivia Sweetnam (USA) earned her first three-star international victory on Friday during opening week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders. She topped the $32,000 Avid Hotel CSI3* Welcome Stake riding the 10-year-old Billy Mexico gelding Epic (Billy Mexico x Flyinge Electro), owned by Sweet Oak Farm.

“This is definitely one of the biggest wins of my career so far,” said Sweetnam, who made her international debut in 2023. “I'm so happy to be able to win a class like this. It was important to me. I know that my horse is more than capable of doing this; he's super talented, so I didn't want to let him down and wanted to give him the best opportunity to do well.”

Epic was found in the Netherlands by Olivia’s father and Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam when the gelding was the mount of Dutch rider Finn Boerekamp. “I've had my fair share of amazing animals, but I've never had something that gives you quite the feeling that he does. He's probably the most talented horse I've ever sat on,” said Olivia, who has been matched with Epic for two months.

In a jump-off field of 11, Olivia was the pathfinder over Mauricio Garcia’s (PUR) course. She stopped the clock at 35.60 seconds for the win. Nipping at her heels, Alex Granato (USA) finished second aboard El Diablo du Nord (Durrant x Irco Mena), owned by The Bright Lights Group, in 36.69 seconds. Canada’s Ali Ramsay was third in 35.75 seconds riding Bonita vh Keizershof Z (Bustique x For Pleasure) for owner Ramsay Equestrian Inc.

Of her jump-off round, Olivia noted, “This jump-off was made for a horse like him with a big stride. I started at the same pace that I ended on, and he followed me super well and I really couldn’t have asked him to do anything better. He’s super competitive; if I think about turning, he turns without me even having to move,” she continued. “His jump through the air is the best feeling—it’s like we are literally flying.”