The Brazilian rider outruns Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam in the first World Cup-qualifier of 2009.

Rodrigo Pessoa already has three FEI Show Jumping World Cup titles to his credit, but on Jan. 17, in Green Cove Springs, Fla., he made it clear he’s aiming to add another one.

Pessoa rode Let’s Fly to the top of the $100,000 Green Cove Springs CSI-W, held during the Jacksonville Winter II. His quick time as the last to jump off relegated Irishman Shane Sweetnam to second place on his new mount, Amaretto d’Arco.

Let’s Fly, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Double H Farm, is a half-brother to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s 2008 FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final winner, Shutterfly. They have the same dam, the Hanoverian mare Famm, while Let’s Fly is by Lordanos and Shutterfly is by Silvio.

European-based U.S. show jumper Peter Wylde showed Let’s Fly to consistent grand prix ribbons in early 2008, but Pessoa took over the ride in May when Double H Farm bought the horse.

Only five of the 32 starters went clean over Dave Ballard’s first-round course. “The course was good and difficult,” Pessoa said. “There were a lot of traps to get you—liverpools and a scopey triple combination. But I wasn’t scared at all—not with that horse!”

Michelle Spadone led the way in the jump-off, but Melisimo rolled a rail off the cups over the twisty jump-off course. Kent Farrington and the always speedy Up Chiqui made a mighty bid for the lead, blistering around the course in what would be the fastest time of the night (38.81 seconds). But the back rail of an oxer hit the dirt for 4 faults.

It was Sweetnam’s turn, and he opted to play it smart. “It seemed like the smart thing to do would be to definitely be clear. And then hope for a little bit of luck! If Rodrigo had had one down, that would have been nice. I thought it was more important to be clear than fast,” Sweetnam said.

Sweetnam guided Amaretto d’Arco to the first clear jump-off round in the conservative time of 42.73 seconds. Carolyn Kelly decided to take a shot on Rulanda, and she had a winning time (39.67 seconds) but picked up 8 faults on the way.

Last to go, Pessoa just had to put in an efficient clean round. “He’s a small horse and very handy, so the turns were really good for him. A little bit of gallop is also good for him because he has a big stride when it is needed,” Pessoa said.

As they crossed the finish line clear, the clock stopped at 39.97 seconds, giving them the top check and 20 World Cup points. Pessoa left the next day to show in another World Cup-qualifier in Zurich, Switzerland, on Jan. 25, but he’ll also be showing at the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) this winter.

Sweetnam didn’t regret his careful approach, considering he just started showing Amaretto d’Arco in December. The Lourie family of Spy Coast Farm bought Amaretto d’Arco in August.

“I wasn’t going to take him to indoors because I really didn’t know him,” Sweetnam said.

He showed the 9-year-old bay stallion on Dec. 7, taking seventh in the $60,000 Holiday & Horses Grand Prix CSI-W in Wellington, Fla. “That was our first big class together. It was probably the biggest class he’d done at that point.”

Amaretto d’Arco, by Darco, had shown to the 1.50-meter level in Europe, and Sweetnam is impressed with his stellar start in the bigger classes. “He’s got plenty of talent, and it comes quite naturally and easily for him,” he said.

With just two World Cup-qualifiers to their record, Sweetnam isn’t making plans to travel to Las Vegas, Nev., in April for the Final, but he admitted he’d make the trip if all of the stars aligned.

“We’ve started out way behind. He’s got some points now, but I’m going to need a bit of luck to qualify. But it’s possible,” he said.

Sweetnam, 28, moved to the United States from Ireland five years ago to work for Margie Engle. “I worked for her for a year, and it was a great experience; I learned a lot. Then, I started my own business with a few horses, and it’s gone from there. I’ve been lucky to get to know a lot of good clients like Spy Coast and other students,” he said.

Now, he and his wife, Ali, run Sweet Oak Farm and have 65 horses under their supervision at WEF. “Ponies, hunters, equitation, jumpers—we have it all! We both do the training, with the help of John Roche and Katie Johnson,” Sweetnam said.

A Sweet Future

Shane Sweetnam has a big name in his barn. Robert and Lisa Lourie of Spy Coast Farm bought the mare Rolette—who competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong with British rider Ben Maher—in November and Sweetnam got the ride.

“We’ve been taking our time. She’s a very talented mare and very easy to work with. We’re hoping for big things with her,” Sweetnam said.

“I buy quite a few horses out of England, and we had spotted her before she even came to America last year. [Rolette and Maher competed in Florida on the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit in 2008, representing Great Britain with a double-clear performance in the CN Wellington Nations Cup.] We asked about her, but they didn’t want to sell her.

“They did give us first option, so whenever she might come up for sale, we were to be told about it first. We followed her all last year, and she did great things with Ben. The chance came up, and it ended up working out,” Sweetnam said.

Maher and Rolette turned in a clean round and two four-fault rounds in Great Britain’s seventh-placed  finish at the Olympic Games in August before sales negotiations began.

Sweetnam has shown Rolette in a 1.50-meter class at WEF. “I’m just getting to know her. You have to enjoy the feeling she gives you in the ring,” he said.

He hopes to represent Ireland on some Super League Nations Cup teams this summer and definitely has the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Ky.) in his sights.