Sixteen-Year-Old Sensation! Olivia Sweetnam Scores First 3* Win at Traverse City

Traverse City, United States – July 04, 2025 – At sixteen years of age, Olivia Sweetnam (USA) earned her first three-star international victory on Friday during opening week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders. She topped the $32,000 Avid Hotel Welcome Stake CSI 3* riding the 10-year-old Billy Mexico gelding Epic, owned by Sweet Oak Farm.

The 11th season of GLEF features six weeks of FEI competition running through August 10, showcasing an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3*, the FEI North American Youth Championships and the return of Major League Show Jumping CSI5* competition to Traverse City. Highlights also include the $100,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Central Spectacular and weekly qualifiers for the all-new $150,000 Traverse City Equitation Championships debuting in September.

“This is definitely one of the biggest wins of my career so far,” said Sweetnam, who made her international debut in 2023. “I’m so happy to be able to win a class like this. It was important to me. I know that my horse is more than capable of doing this; he’s super talented, so I didn’t want to let him down and wanted to give him the best opportunity to do well.”

Epic was found in the Netherlands by Olivia’s father and Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam when the gelding was the mount of Dutch rider Finn Boerekamp. “I’ve had my fair share of amazing animals, but I’ve never had something that gives you quite the feeling that he does. He’s probably the most talented horse I’ve ever sat on,” said Olivia, who has been matched with Epic for two months.

In a jump-off field of 11, Olivia was the pathfinder over Mauricio Garcia’s (PUR) course. She stopped the clock at 35.60 seconds for the win. Nipping at her heels, Alex Granato (USA) finished second aboard El Diablo du Nord, owned by The Bright Lights Group, in 36.69 seconds.

Canada’s Ali Ramsay (CAN) was third in 35.75 seconds riding Bonita vh Keizershof Z for owner Ramsay Equestrian Inc.

Of her jump-off round, Olivia noted, “This jump-off was made for a horse like him with a big stride. I started at the same pace that I ended on, and he followed me super well and I really couldn’t have asked him to do anything better.

“He’s super competitive; if I think about turning, he turns without me even having to move,” she continued. “His jump through the air is the best feeling—it’s like we are literally flying.”

Three-star competition comes to a peak in the $117,000 Meijer Grand Prix CSI 3* Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon during GLEF I. Due to her age, Olivia will sit out the grand prix but soon set her focus on representing her country in the FEI North American Youth Championships during the fifth week of GLEF.

Final Results – $32,000 Avid Hotel Welcome Stake CSI 3*

1) Olivia Sweetnam (USA) & Epic – 0 / 0 – 35.60

2) Alex Granato (USA) & El Diablo du Nord – 0 / 0 – 36.69

3) Ali Ramsay (CAN) & Bonita vh Keizershof Z – 0 / 0 – 37.57

Source: Press Release (edited) from Traverse City Horse Shows

Photo: © TCHS / Megan Giese Media

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