THE International Jumping Riders Club (IJRC) has announced the riders for the 2024 Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final and Ireland’s Conor Swail is among them.

The list includes the top 10 riders in the world and is not surprisingly led by Henrik von Eckermann, who has been World number one for a remarkable 28 months.

Other finalists include last year’s winner and Paris Olympic silver medallist Steve Guerdat, who will be aiming for a record fourth win in this unique class to be held on the evening of Friday, December 13th at the CHI Geneva.

The full list, in ranking order, is as follows: Henrik von Eckermann (SWE), Steve Guerdat (SUI), Ben Maher (GBR), Kent Farrington (USA), Julien Epaillard (FRA), Max Kuhner (AUT), Richard Vogel (GER), Christian Kukuk (GER), McLain Ward (USA), Conor Swail (IRL).

Created by the IJRC in 2001, the Rolex IJRC Top 10 Final is the only five-star class whose contestants qualify directly on merit from the Longines show jumping rankings list, reflecting their consistency over the previous 12 months.

This year’s final involves four former winners – von Eckermann, Maher, Guerdat and Farrington. There are three newcomers, who have all made a great impact this season; the new Olympic individual champion Kukuk, who secured gold for Germany after a thrilling three-horse jump-off against the backdrop of Versailles, and his compatriot, Vogel, who has made a rapid ascent up the rankings, claiming his first Major at Geneva last year.

And just edging into the top 10 this month is our own Swail, whose big wins this year include the ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows. The next best Irish riders among the top 20 on the Longines rankings list are Daniel Coyle who is currently ranked 13th, Shane Sweetnam who is 15th, Cian O’Connor who is 17th and Darragh Kenny who is 19th.