MAJOR League Show Jumping (MLSJ)moved to Tryon International in North Carolina, USA at the weekend for leg six of the 2024 season, with a number of Irish competitors taking part.

The exciting crescendo of the show was the five-star $340,000 1.60m Grand Prix on Sunday. Co Down’s Conor Swail had accrued several good placings over the preceding days, but he peaked at the perfect time, taking Grand Prix victory with 11-year-old gelding Casturano (Castelan 3 x Canturo), owned by Conall Murray.

From 40 starters, only six made it through to the jump-off over course designer Peter Grant’s (CAN) track – two of them being Irish, Swail and Offaly’s Darragh Kenny. All six combinations showed their class when jumping clear again, so time was of the essence!

Swail and Casturano were last to go against the clock and sped round the course in 41.54 seconds, proving unbeatable. Their nearest rival was Kent Farrington (USA) on Greya (41.89) in second, while Daniel Bluman (ISR) took third on ‘Corbie VV’ (42.21). Kenny and Eddy Blue finished fourth in 42.72.

“This means a lot,” said Swail following his first MLSJ Grand Prix win. “I’ve jumped a lot of these Grands Prix and to not win one is frustrating, so it’s nice to get one and, hopefully, when there’s one, there will be more.

“He’s (Casturano) been an incredible athlete right from the beginning. This year, we moved him up and every time I step up, he keeps answering all the questions. He is extremely careful, so it’s just about keeping him confident. If he’s relaxed and happy, he comes and does his job.”

In the ribbons

The two-star $31,100 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier on Thursday saw Paul O’Shea on Squirt Gun (61.90) a close second to McLain Ward on La Serra, less than a second ahead on 61.01 seconds.

Swail steered Vital Chance de la Roque into third place in the five-star $181,170 1.55m Grand Prix qualifier, which was won by Laura Kraut (USA) on board Baloutine. The 41 starters yielded 14 clear first rounds, with seven managing to jump double clear. Kraut set the winning time of 36.33, just ahead of runner-up Ashlee Bond (ISR) on Donatello 141 (36.54) and Swail on 37.02. Kenny placed sixth on Chaccoletto on 37.66.

Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz (Kannan x CSF Telly Cruz x Cruising), bred by Patrick Connolly, took the top honours in Friday’s $62,500 MLSJ Individual class, when they jumped clear in 66.27, just fractions ahead of runner-up Harry Charles (GBR) on Bandit (ISH) (OBOS Quality 004 (OLD) x Rockmount Sineen (ISH) x Cruising Micky Finn (ISH)[TIH]; bred by Ted McKenna) in 66.44. Swail placed fourth with Casturano (67.32).

The early hours of Saturday saw the $300,000 MLSJ Team competition being held, with Sweetnam’s earlier double clear helping his Maccabi United team into runner-up position, where he was accompanied by Mark Bluman (COL) on Ubiluc and Gabriel Machado (BRA) on Legaland Sandro. Swail and Casturano partnered with Kenny on Rockstar and Daniel Bluman (ISR) on Corbie VV to take fourth place for the Trelawny Trailblazers. The competition was won by the Archers team of Nicola Phillppaerts (BEL), Aaron Vale (USA) and Harry Charles (GBR) with the Irish-bred Bandit (ISH).

Saturday’s two-star $40,000 1.45m Grand Prix saw Daniel Coyle finish fifth with Farrel. Some 55 combinations took on the course, with 24 jumping clear; 10 jumped a second clear. It was close, with the first five finishing within a second of each other. Coyle’s time of 37.38 wasn’t far off the pace of American winner Sloane Coles on Ninja JW van de Moerhoeve (36.48).

Swail had to settle for second place in the five-star $31,100 1.45m Winning Round with Vital Chance de la Roque, when their jump-off time of 42.31 fell just short of catching winner McLain Ward (USA) on Quimi Del Maset (41.92).