Text © World of Showjumping

Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and the 14-year-old mare Gilona AO (Zavall VDL x Silvio) won Saturday’s CSIO5* 1.50m Prix Saur at Jumping International de La Baule 2025 – the last chance to qualify for Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix – after a lightning-fast jump-off. 

A total of 66-horse-and-rider combinations had lined up to tackle Gregory Bodo’s 13-fence track, which included both a double and a triple combination, and no less than 18 of them qualified for the jump-off where 16 opted to return to battle it out for the win. 

The jump-off was bound to become a race against the clock, and as second to go it was Laura Kraut (USA) and Emeraldo (Emerald x Narcos II) who set the standard with a time of 38.86 seconds. The question was, how much faster would it be possible to go? A little was the answer from Peder Fredricson (SWE), as he brought the time to beat down to 38.82 as next to go aboard SV Vroom de La Pomme Z (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Untouchable 27). It did not last though, Rene Dittmer (GER) followed with Echo vh Gerendal Z (Echo vh Spieveld x Jodokus) and racing around the shortened track he clocked in on 38.37 as the new leader. 

However, it was Nadja Peter Steiner (SUI) who found another gear as she went all in for the win aboard Nice van’t Zorgvliet (Emerald x Heartbreaker) to cross the finish line in 36.63 seconds. Next to go, it looked like Scott Brash (GBR) and Hello Chadora Lady (Chacco-Blue x Nintender) were well up on the clock, but going through the timers they slotted into second in 36.71.

A daring ride from Abdel Said (BEL) aboard Calvaro (Cascadello x Quidam de Revel) – who made hearts stop in his turn to the plank, the third fence in the jump-off – shaved off 0.07 seconds on the time to beat, but the lead changed hands at the same tempo the class was now going in… Next to go, Shane Sweetnam literally flew around the shortened track to push into pole position with an unbelievable 36.28 seconds – a time that finally proved impossible to match. Said finished second, Peter Steiner third, Brash fourth and Dittmer fifth.

"It’s a difficult course to build, because you have so many good riders and horses and it’s a 1.50m. Yes, it’s big, but then you see that many clears because you have so much quality here," Sweetnam explained to World of Showjumping after the class. "It was a really exciting jump-off for the crowd, it’s packed here as usual. Everything was so tight, so everyone was very happy with the class – especially me!” the happy winner smiled.

"Gilona is really careful and she has a big stride, and she is always trying to please so I thought I’d take a risk back to the plank and then back to the second last and she has plenty of scope so it worked out in my favour," Sweetnam detailed about his strategy for the jump-off. 

"I have had Gilona for two years now, she is a very good horse and she won a Grand Prix straight when I got her. But then, she sustained a big injury and I was not sure she was going to come back –  but she did. Now, she’s been back since December last year, and this is the first time I have had her in Europe. This is a big win for her," Sweetnam smiled.