COUNTY Down’s Conor Swail was on a roll at Thermal in California, USA, last Thursday. After winning the $76,000 CAD Pomponio Ranch 1.50m Qualifier with Theo 160, as reported in last week’s The Irish Field, in which Offaly’s Darragh Kenny finished fourth with VDL Cartello, Swail also claimed the top spot in the $39,000 FarmVet CAD 1.45m Speed on board Fasole du Seigneur. The pair finished in a time of 59.97 seconds, just over a second faster than British runner-up, Amanda Derbyshire riding Cornwall BH, whose time was 60.98 seconds.

“She’s in my barn, so I know her well enough,” Swail said of the 12-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare (Doremi x Ogano Sitte). “But I don’t compete on her much. Funny, yesterday I got caught out a little bit at [fence] two, where she just threw me up in the air and lost my stirrup. Today was much smoother after yesterday’s round. I got a good bit of information and we had a nice bit of work in the morning. She’s always very fast and careful, but was really with me and jumped very correctly.”

Friday saw Ireland’s Richie Moloney guide Duran Duran into fourth place in the $10,000 1.35m class, where he was among only five double clears, while Swail and Theo 160 came fifth in the $76,000 1.50m Individual Overlay.

Teamwork

Meanwhile, in the $268,000 1.50m Team competition, Swail (Theo 160) and Kenny (Chic Chic) accompanied by American, Lillie Keenan (Agana Van Het Gerendal Z), took the runner-up position, with the team of Richie Moloney (Rocksy Music) and Paul O’Shea (Squirt Gun), along with Canada’s Amy Millar (Christiano) placing third.

Saturday saw Swail steer Gamble into third place in the $40,000 National Grand Prix, in a class where only five of the 54 starters managed to jump clear in the first round to secure a place in the jump-off. The class was won by America’s Karl Cook riding Caracole De La Roque.

Kenny then rode the 11-year-old gelding California Pie to secure runner-up position in the two-star Grand Prix. Kenny was one of 12 riders to make it into the jump-off, where there were seven double clears and he finished just 0.17 seconds behind 20-year-old American winner Elisa Broz riding Tinkerbell. Richie Moloney and Sherlock 46 were among the seven double clears and took seventh place, while Conor Swail and Fasole Du Seigneur had an unfortunate four faults in the jump-off to place eighth.

On Sunday, Ireland’s James Chawke rode One Edition into second place in the $10,000 1.35m Open Classic to conclude the show.