DOWN’S Conor Swail is certainly on form at present and cemented his position by recording his seventh win in the space of two weeks at the weekend - having claimed four wins the previous week on four different horses. The Odlum Brown BC Open ran at Thunderbird Show Park at Langley in Canada last week, hosting four-star competitions including a Nations Cup.
Swail’s winning run at this show began on Wednesday, when he rode Casturano into first place in the 23-strong $31,100 four-star 1.50m Nations Welcome qualifier. Swail’s time of 62.03 seconds was the fastest of the clear rounds and secured him the top prize of $12,448. Canada’s Braden James (Kannadine) and Kassidy Keith (Havana) completed the podium in second and third respectively.
Swail commented: “The nice thing about last week, obviously, is I had four wins, but there were four different horses. And now, this is five wins on five different horses. I’m very, very proud of that. I have a nice group of horses here, and they’re in good form.”
Things could have played out differently though, as Swail said: “I could see the crow just sitting on the grass behind (fence one). Usually they sit on the wings, and the horses don’t seem to mind as much, because they’re up high. But this one was behind the jump. I’m about a stride away, and the old crow knows I’m coming - the thing pops up!”
Thankfully, Casturano wasn’t phased. “It definitely helps when all the horses are feeling good, and I am feeling good about it as well. They’re confident, and I’m riding with confidence.”
Thursday saw another win for Swail, this time in the 32-strong $31,100 two-star 1.45m Friends of Tbird qualifier, riding the 11-year-old mare Kazelli VDL. The pair jumped double clear in 40.44 to secure the top spot, ahead of Braden James (CAN) on Hermes Des Carmilles (41.2).
When asked about course designer Peter Holmes’ first-round track, Swail said: “I thought it was a difficult enough track, to be honest. There [were] enough questions in the first round. But the mare had a good week last week, so we skipped the warm-up [class] this week.
“I felt she was okay just to go ahead and do the qualifier. She jumped a beautiful first round, actually. Very smooth and really with me. I was really happy with that.”
Swail and Kazelli VDL then scored again, winning Saturday’s $31,100 two-star 1.45m Uyradis Village Grand Prix when double clear in 40.19 seconds. His nearest challenger, Karrie Rufer (USA) on the 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Shanroe Peeters (Dallas VDL x Shanroe Sapphire by Condios), bred by Anthony Smyth, was over a second and a half behind in 41.77 for second place. The only other double clear was achieved by third-placed Ashley Papalia (CAN) on Clan De Nyze Z in 42.29. This was Swail’s seventh international win of the Thunderbird Spring Series.
Kazelli VDL accounts for three of Swail’s seven wins in less than two weeks.
“This ring suits her. She’s got a big gallop and she’s very careful,” Swail said of the mare. “She has such a huge stride and she was jumping everything very comfortably. I thought there was eight (strides to the double), which I knew no one else would do. Honestly, if I was making the decision again, I wouldn’t do it. The mare was very good to clear A and B, and I thought it was a little too risky. She jumped beautifully in both rounds.”
Placings
Swail had made a conservative start when placing eighth in Wednesday’s four-star 1.45m Welcome class with Casturano, jumping clear in a time of 71.89. He then rode Nadal Hero & DB into second place in Thursday’s $31,100 four-star 1.45m class, jumping double clear in a jump-off time of 33.56. He was only beaten by Gavin Moylan (CAN) on Anton 869, who stopped the clock in 32.03.
Friday’s $117,000 four-star 1.55m Grand Prix saw 23 combinations in the starting line-up, with just six jumping clear in the first round - five of whom jumped a second time, with four completing double clear.
Swail on Casturano and fellow Irish man James Chawke on Daido Van’T Ruytershof Z each picked up four faults in the first round to place eighth and ninth respectively.
On Saturday, Swail placed fifth in the $31,100 four-star 1.50m jump-off class riding the Irish Sport Horse Clonterm Obolensky, bred by Brian Duff. The duo jumped clear in the first round, along with four others, but did not jump again. The class was won by Rowan Willis (AUS) on For Dilando PS in a jump-off time of 43.67.
The four-star Nations Cup class was held on Sunday and saw five teams taking part - namely Australia, United States, Mexico, Canada and Ireland, with the Irish being drawn last of the five to jump.
The Irish team was made up of Laois’s James Chawke on Daido Van’T Ruytershof Z (owned by the rider), Kerry’s Dylan Daly on Cinderella Z (owned by Double C Stables), Down’s Lorcan Gallagher on Copycat (owned by Lost Lake Farm LLC) and Conor Swail on Clonterm Obolensky (ISH) (owned by Oliver Glancy). Swail was acting as chef d’equipe.
Chawke was first in for Ireland and picked up four faults, as did Daly. Gallagher suffered elimination after a refusal at the open water, but Swail smoothed the waters with a lovely clear round, putting Ireland on a score of eight after round one.
In round two, Chawke repeated his first-round score of four, while Daly picked up eight faults. Gallagher opted not to jump, while Swail remained calm under pressure and recorded another perfect clear. Ireland finished in fourth place on a total of 20.
Mexico took their second Nations Cup victory of the weekend, finishing on a score of 12, ahead of Canada in second (16) and the United States in third (17).