CONOR Swail and Vital Chance de la Roque are beginning to develop a winning reputation. After opening the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup North American League season with a victory in Vancouver, Canada recently, the duo recorded a second straight World Cup victory in Sacramento, USA last weekend.

Swail and the enthusiastic 12-year-old gelding topped a thrilling four-horse jump-off in front of a packed crowd at the Murieta Equestrian Centre. Using his Vital Chance de la Roque’s natural footspeed and agile turning, they seemed to read each other’s minds as they left out strides and shaved more than a second off Erynn Ballard and Huberth B’s then-leading time.