WHILE Down’s Conor Swail was originally scheduled to be in Geneva over the weekend, fate intervened and a cancelled flight meant he instead went to the Major League Show Jumping finale in California. It turned out well for the Irish man.

The 10-leg MLSJ series had seen some fantastic competition and the final fixture of 2024 was held at the Desert International Horse Park at Thermal in California over the weekend. The highlight of the show was the $1,000,000 MLSJ Cabana Coast Team Final on Saturday.

Saturday’s five-star $62,500 MLSJ Team Individual class saw Richard Howley ride Zodiak Du Buisson Z into fourth place of the 32 starters, when clear in a time of 72.03. Swail finished 10th riding My Lady Lavista, with a clear round in 76.44.

Swail’s clear round added to the tally of his team, the Trelawny Trailblazers, who won the final (for the second time in a row), assisted by Swail’s amazing medal jump-off round, which he completed in a lightening-fast 43.63 seconds! Howley was on the fourth placed Roadrunners team.

“I was supposed to be in Geneva; it’s a little disappointing not being able to jump in the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final, which is a great achievement,” explained Swail, after his horses’ flight to Switzerland was unexpectedly cancelled. “You know the flight got cancelled, it’s beyond our control. So, for me, I’m meant to be here this week.”

MLSJ winner

At the end of the series, the Trelawny Trailblazers finished on a super score of 136, with the Roadrunners taking second on 122 points and Maccabi United in third on 115.

In the individual rankings, Swail finished in first place out in front on 77 points, followed by American riders Kent Farrington on 60 (second) and Lille Keenan on 44 (third). Darragh Kenny finished equal fourth on 42 points, along with Israel’s Ashlee Bond and Daniel Bluman.

Swail’s success must surely have been some consolation for his Geneva disappointment.

Thursday’s opening class was the two-star $32,000 Welcome Speed class, which saw Ireland’s James Chawke on Nacara van Berkenbroeck Z finish second in a time of 62.47. He was just off the pace of class winner Nayel Nassar (EGY) on Linguini De La Pomme (62.35).