Conor Swail defends show jumping title at Palgrave

October 3, 2014 · 0 Comments

It’s hard to say who had the better day Sunday at Caledon Equestrian Park.
For the second year in a row, Ireland’s Conor Swail stood in the winner’s circle following the $50,000 World Cup Grand Prix, presented by Peel Maryborough and Aviva Insurance at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament in Palgrave.
But Sunday’s event also acted as the second and final phase of the RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup.
Ian Millar of Perth was a close second to Swail Sunday, but that was combined with his performance Friday when he won the first phase of the competition, earning him the cup. In addition, he won a $1,000 bonus from Henry Equestrian Plan (HEP) as the highest-placed rider using the HEP saddle pad, presented to all entries at the FEI horse inspection.
There were 30 entries in Sunday’s competition, and eight riders, including Swail and Millar, turned in clear rounds to advance to the jump-off.
Caledon’s Christian Sorensen was the first of the eight into the ring, riding Bobby, a 12-year-old black Dutch Warmblood gelding owned in partnership with Britland Hughes, and he got through the round with no faults.
Millar was the third to go, aboard Dixson, an 11-year-old bay Belgian Warmblood gelding, and he shaved more than three seconds off Sorensen’s time, posting a 40.27-second mark that for a while seemed unbeatable.
Swail proved that wrong, completing a clear round in 39.61 on top of Ariana.
“I kept an eye on Ian because he has been on such a roll, and he had a very fast round,” said Swail, 42. “There was a turn inside the double combination to an oxer that I did. I was the only one that did it and, obviously, it saved a lot of time. It was a high-risk move, and it paid off for me today.”
“I was hungry to win,” he added with a grin, “and I think Ian’s won enough.”
Swail has been competing in International Equestrian Federation (FEI) sanctioned competition with Ariana since 2011. While the pair enjoyed two victories on the indoor circuit last fall, the victory Sunday marked their biggest win to date.
“She is a very consistent horse, and this was a step up for her,” said Swail of Ariana, a 13-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood mare. “This was my fourth time showing here, and it was the biggest track that I’ve jumped so far. This was a big class for her, but she’s the type of horse that has an unbelievable heart and gives you everything. She’s quite nervous, whenever the crowd claps she tries to run away, but, at the same time, she always tries to leave the jumps up. She is not the easiest, but if you give her a good ride, she will normally not be too far away in the results.”
While Millar may have been relegated to second Sunday, it was a win-win for owner Susan Grange of Cheltenham, who owns Ariana as well as Dixson in partnership with her daughter, Ariel. As Swail noted, “My owners are great supporters of the sport, and it was nice for them today to be first and second.”
Sunday’s event marked the final class of the 2014 season for the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park. Following a complete rebuild, the finishing touches will now be put in place as the Park prepares to host the equestrian events for the 2015 Pan American Games next July.
“I’ve seen the transformation of the facility, and what they’ve done here,” said Swail. “It is one of the better facilities in the world now. It’s top-notch, and worth coming to. The ground is super, and horses are jumping well off of it.”
“It’s a great facility here,” he added. “The weather was beautiful and the facility is fabulous.”
“It’s going to be the best Pan Am facility ever,” Millar agreed, adding it will leave a legacy for the sport. “I always think of Field of Dreams; ‘Build it and they will come.’”
Craig Collins, managing partner of Equestrian Management Group (EMG), summed it up by saying, “Our week of weather has been absolutely spectacular. The crowd certainly was appreciative of the great performances the riders gave them today. It was a spectacular day with great jumping, and a starting field that included many of our American and international friends. We could not have asked for a better end to our 2014 season.”

Caledon’s Christian Sorensen Guides Bobby to a clear round in the $50,000 World Cup Grand Prix, presented by Peel Maryborough and Aviva Insurance at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament in Palgrave. The pair rode to third place in the competition.

Conor Swail guides Ariana over oneof the fences in the jump-off, posting a clear round to win the $50,000 World Cup Grand Prix.
Photos by Bill Rea

Ian Millar turned in a clear round on Dixson to get into the jump-off and take second place in Sunday’s event, as well as winning the RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup.