Shane Sweetnam
Equestrian
BIOGRAPHY
Shane Sweetnam represented Ireland in show jumping at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
At Tokyo 2020 he was originally a travelling reserve before replacing Cian O’Connor in the team event, where he suffered a fall from his horse Alejandro early in the competition. Ireland subsequently withdrew their remaining riders and did not complete the team final. At Paris 2024 Sweetnam competed alongside Daniel Coyle and Cian O’Connor, finishing 22nd individually and 7th in the team competition at the Château de Versailles. Ireland had been in medal contention going into the final round before finishing on a combined team score of 14 faults.
Sweetnam grew up in Castlemagner in North Cork, the youngest of five siblings, all of whom rode horses. He began competing at the age of seven. After graduating with a qualification in IT from the University of Limerick in 2004, he moved to the United States to train under American show jumper Margie Engle.
He was part of the Irish team that won gold at the 2017 European Championships and silver at the 2023 European Championships. His cousin is Leinster and Ireland rugby player James Ryan.
OTHER EQUESTRIAN ATHLETES
EQUESTRIAN NEWS
In The News – May 18th 2026
Athletics Mark English made history with a landmark performance in the 800m, surging to victory in a meeting record time of 1:43.85 at the Shanghai Diamond League. The Donegal athlete becomes the first Irish male to win a Diamond League race, adding his name to a growing list of Irish winners on the circuit alongside [...]
LA28 Qualification Dates in 2026
ROAD TO LA ALREADY UNDERWAY! 2026 marks the beginning of the qualification journey for many sports as they look ahead to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. Qualifying for the Games, which take place from 14–30 July 2028, is challenging across all disciplines. Most sports require either direct qualification through specific events, qualification via [...]
In The News – May 5th 2026
Athletics Irish Women’s 4x400m Team Qualify for 2027 World Athletics Championships The Irish Women’s 4x400m relay team produced a hugely impressive performance on Day Two of the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, securing qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. The quartet of Rachel McCann (North Down AC), Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock [...]
In The News – 23 March 2026
Athletics 2026 World Indoor Championships Kate O’Connor delivered another landmark moment for Irish athletics, securing bronze in the pentathlon at the 2026 World Indoor Championships and further cementing her place among the country’s most consistent championship performers. Her 4,820-point total represented a significant step forward, 97 points higher than her silver-medal performance the previous year, [...]
Olympic medal winner Sam Griffiths announced as Ireland’s new High Performance Manager
Former Badminton Trials winner and team medal winner takes reins as HSI High Performance Manager Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is delighted to announce the appointment of Sam Griffiths as its new High Performance Eventing Manager ahead of the FEI World Championships in Aachen this summer and in the lead-up to the LA Olympic Games in [...]
KÜRTEN TAKES REINS AS IRELAND’S NEW JUMPING BOSS
Legendary rider excited to work with team ahead of World Championships and LA28 Olympics Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is delighted to announce the appointment of legendary rider Jessica Kürten as the organisation’s new High Performance Jumping Manager following a comprehensive Request for Tender (RFT) and interview process for the role, as Ireland enters an exciting [...]