EQUESTRIAN:Ireland's Shane Sweetnam won two of the three classes in the international arena as the FTI Consulting winter equestrian festival, which runs until the end of March, commenced yesterday in Wellington, Florida.

The Cork native landed the 1.45m speed competition with over four seconds in hand on the Irish-bred mare Solerina, a 14-year-old chestnut by Cruising out of a Diamond Lad dam. He then claimed the 1.40m jump-off competition with the fastest double clear on Eregast Van’t Kiezelhof, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmlood gelding by Thunder Van De Zuuthoeve.

Cian O’Connor, who is scheduled to travel out to Florida next month, is competing in Abu Dhabi this weekend and, riding Unique, was second in yesterday’s 1.40m jump-off class. Earlier, Marion Hughes filled the same position in the 1.30m competition on board Heritage HHS Fortuna.