Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam riding Amaretto d’Arco won a $3,000 bonus from Jennifer Ward representing SSG Riding Gloves and ringmaster Cliff Haines after winning the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round X at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. Photo by Sportfot

March 15, 2012 – Wellington, FL – For the first time, Shane Sweetnam was the benefactor of the $3,000 bonus offered as part of the SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.

A total of 46 horses entered the International Arena in the hopes of winning the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round X on Thursday, March 15.  Canadian course designer Michel Vaillancourt narrowed the starting field down to 12 horses for the jump-off.  Only two managed to once again turn in faultless performances, and both were wearing SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves with the company’s horse head logo clearly visible.  In the end, the time told the final tale with Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam posting a time of 45.73 seconds to win over Canada’s Tiffany Foster, who had stopped the clock at 46.58 riding Victor.

For Sweetnam, the win marked his first victory in the weekly WEF Challenge Cup series, despite competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival for the past eight years.  His partner was Amaretto d’Arco, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion owned by Spy Coast Farm.  In addition to the victory, Sweetnam also claimed a $3,000 cash bonus from SSG Riding Gloves.

“I think the promotion is a great idea!” said Sweetnam, a busy professional rider who has supported SSG’s ‘Go Clean for the Green’ program since it first launched. 

The SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion offers a bonus of $3,000 each week to the winner of the WEF Challenge Cup Series.  In the weekly High Junior Jumper Classic and High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, a bonus of $1,000 is offered.  Any bonus money not awarded is carried forward to the next week.

SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves are available for purchase at numerous Wellington locations, including Tackeria, as well as on-site at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival show grounds at Running Fox, Beval Saddlery, Hadfield’s Saddlery, Ann K Hubbard’s Tack Shop and Jods.

Please refer to the 2012 WEF Prize List for complete details.  For further information, contact Jennifer Ward, Starting Gate Communications, at cell: 613 292-5439 or jward@startinggate.ca.