Sweetnam and Gizmo shape up nicely for AachenNicky Galligan was three-star winner in America and Ciaran Nallon bagged a two-star prize in The Netherlands, while Darragh Kenny nearly made it a hat-trick for Irish athletes but recorded an excellent runner-up finish in Belgium.Kenny will be a teammate of Shane Sweetnams at the World Championships, which begin next week in Aachen once this weeks Gallagher Dublin Horse Show concludes at the RDS, and Sweetnam gave the Patrick Connolly-bred Irish Sport Horse James Kann Cruz (Gizmo Partners) his last pipe-opener prior to the trip to Germany to a lucrative sixth-place finish in the 500,000 Rolex Grand Prix Ville de Dinard in France on Sunday.As the final week of the HITS Hudson Valley Jumping Tour got under way belatedly on Thursday due to inclement weather, Galligan was the first of the Irish pair to raise the Tricolour on Thursday morning with the Irish Sport Horse Lougherne Kingfisher (Blue Trim), bred in Co Down by Jane Allen-Collins.Just shy of 50 horse-and-rider duos battled it out for the title over FEI Level 4 course designer Olaf Petersen Jrs (GER) power-and-speed track in the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium for the $31,020 Dapper Horse CSI3* Jumper Classic.Galligan and his 10-year-old mare (main photo in presentation, and below in action) arrived at the mid-point mark and the New York-based Meath native elicited a lightning quick time of 25.88 seconds from the crucial speed section of the track to secure a first international triumph for the talented grey.Honestly, today is the best feeling she has given me in the ring, ability wise, enthused Galligan. I dont think I really pushed her to go that fast, but she is just a very quick, efficient horse, and Im really excited for whats to come because I feel that she can get even quicker.I actually had to ride her in a dressage saddle when I went to try her (in Ireland last October), and I didnt even go over a pole with her before I knew she was a horse that I wanted to develop a partnership with. I instantly loved how sensitive and attuned she was with me; it was like any question that I asked or any small movement I made, she was right there with me.It was a Meath-dominated podium, as Jonathan Corrigan grabbed third with Hunter Des Forets (Gabi Morris, below).It was Nallons turn on Saturday, seeing off a monumental list of 81 other participants at Valkenswaards Longines Tops International Arena to win the two-star 1.45m speed class.Partnered with the highly promising eight-year-old Little Special in Red M (Beerbaum Stables, above and below), with which he has already enjoyed international success this summer, the 24-year-old from Mayo and his patrons charge set an insurmountable task for their rivals, posting a time of 66.64.It has a been an outstanding year to date for the Knockmore athlete, turning heads by virtue of his performances as an U25 rider for Riesenbeck International in the Longines Global Champions League.Frances Laura Klein captured second place aboard Oh Sissi with Laura Kraut (USA) completing the podium on Tres Bien Z.Sweetnam will have been delighted that James Kann Cruz added another clear round to his repertoire in France but there will surely be a hint of disappointment that the duo did not make the jump-off and thus give themselves a chance of adding to their Rolex Grand Prix success in Falsterbo, Sweden three weeks earlier.The pair are serial winners at the five-star level, including five-star Grands Prix, but that was their first CSIO five-star Grand Prix and they made a bold bid to follow-up, only to just fall foul of the time allowed in the 1.60m test.As usual, Gizmo excelled in clearing the obstacles but the Galwegian-bred son of Kannan stopped the timers 0.77 seconds outside the time allowed of 84 to sit out the decider.Pieter Devos (BEL) and Primo DV took the 125,000 first prize with a brilliant double clear, from Christian Ahlmann (GER), with Sheeran WL), while Max Kuhner (AUT) guided his EIC Cooley Jump The Q (ISH) to third, with by far the fastest time of 44.92 but with one rail down.Sweetnam and Gizmos efforts were still good enough for sixth place and prize money of 30,000, with the World Championships closing in.On Sunday, Sweetnams colleague on the Irish team for Aachen, Kenny was a silver medallists in the three-star Grand Prix at Sentower Park, Oudsbergen.The Florida-based Offaly man and Zero K (Andrzej Oplatek) were among the four combinations to survive the opening examination and two of those were unable to follow up in the jump-off.Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (BRA) and Rockwell RC (ISH), bred in Kilkenny by Ronan Byrne, were clear winners, stopping the clock in 37.90 when posting a double clear and while Zero K and Kenny navigator were unable to better that time, that second clear ensured a strong result from a list of 57 contestants.BREEDINGCSF JAMES KANN CRUZ (ISH) 2013 gelding by Kannan (KWPN) out of CSF Telly Cruz (ISH) by Cruising (ISH)[TIH]. Breeder: Patrick Connolly, Co Galway. Owner: Gizmo Partners, LLC. Rider: Shane Sweetnam (IRL).COOLEY JUMP THE Q (ISH) 2013 gelding by Pacino (BWP) out of Jump The Q (ISH) by OBOS Quality 004 (OLD). Breeder: Pam Walshe, Co Carlow. Owner: MK Sportpferde Max Khner & Remo Baleri. Rider: Max Khner (AUT).LOUGHERNE KINGFISHER (ISH) 2016 gr mare by Colestus (WESTF) out of Lougherne Springs (ISH) by Limmerick (HOLST). Breeder: Jane Allen-Collins, Hillsborough, Co Down: Owner: Blue Trim. Rider: Nicky Galligan (IRL)ROCKWELL RC (ISH) 2014 mare by Kannan (KWPN) out of Urban Sea (ISH) by Guidam (SF). Breeder: Ronan Byrne, Co. Kilkenny. Owner: Ashford Farm, Sean Cubitt, Jana Wargers. Rider: Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (BRA).The post Gold for Galligan and Nallon appeared first on .