DEVON, Pa.--Shane Sweetnam of Ireland on Pegina VD Bisschop won the $182,000 Idle Dice Stake on Saturday evening, May 30, but McKayla Langmeier was Leading Open Jumper Rider, Leading Open Jumper Lady Rider and on Pepita VD Rollebeek was Reserve Open Jumper Champion.
Shane Sweetnam on Pegina VD Bisschop (Photo by Phelps Sports)To be Leading Rider, Langmeier had amassed a terrific skein of victories and high placings on three different horses, finishing in the money in all five classes.
Langmeier won the first two Open Jumper classes and was third in the Devon Speed Stake on Pepita, was second in the Grand Prix on Riesling van e Gaathoevv and 12th in the Idle Dice Stake on Isadore de Chalusse.
Sweetnam won the Idle Dice Stake in a six horse jump-off, finishing clean in 36.24 to beat Daniel Bluman of Israel on Gemma W, clean in 37.49, and Bluman was also third on Kester de Nyze Z, clean in 37.92.
Chloe Reid on Crossover 4 was fourth, clean in 38.90, with Raleigh Hiler on Lennox VD Bisschop fifth, clean in 40.32, and Sarah Segal on Boreale de Fondcombe sixth with four faults in 37.54.
SWEETNAM had the advantage of going last in the jump-off.
McKayla Langmeier on Pepita VD Rollebeek (Phelps Sports)"I got to watch Daniel's round," said Sweetnam. "I know I had to really go if I was going to get him. The speed (in the jump-off) is the hard part because you have to be fast but you have to leave the jumps up."
"I thought he did a good job," said Sweetnam of course designer Colm Quinn. "It was very fair, it wasn't over the top. It caught horses in different places. He's an Irish course designer, s obviously he knows what he's doing. He got the right number of six for the jump-off and an Irish winner."
"I've had this mare for around a year," he said. "She had a little injury at the start, but she's been going strong since December. We''re still getting to know each other.
"She's been unlucky in the last few grand prix. She had a cheap rail last week. She actually hit the standard. I felt she was due a clean round, so it was great to get the win.
"I first started coming here three years ago," said Sweetnam. "I'd been here a few times with the kids, but it was the first time the timing was right for the horses for me to come. The kids. Olivia and Collin, were here last week, but I was in Aachen."
