Conor Swail & Flower. Ph. ©MOI Photography
A weekend of top CSI4* show jumping competition at the Thunderbird Showpark in Langley, British Columbia, Canada kicked off on Wednesday, August 23, 2017 with a repeat win for Ireland’s Conor Swail.
Swail of Ireland, who traveled to Langley to compete in both weeks of Thunderbird’s CSI classes, won the CSI3* Welcome with Flower, a 12-year-old BWP mare (Bon Ami x Randel Z) one week ago on August 16.
This week, with the rating and the caliber of rider kicked up a notch, Swail doubled his victory tally in the $35,000 Maui Jim Welcome CSI4*. He took over the ride on Flower from Finland’s Nina Fagerstrom in January of this year, and has marked consistent finishes with the speedy mare ever since.
In the Maui Jim Welcome, Swail went up against a start list of 44 and turned in the best time of 13 clear rounds, in 64.48 seconds. That winning time held a healthy margin away from 2nd placed Eugenio Garza Perez and Victor Finn DH Z of Mexico, who finishes in 65.53 seconds. France’s Eric Navet finished equal 2nd on the same exact time with Basimodo—a relative rarity in the sport.
Mandy Porter was the highest-placed American rider in 4th place with Milano. Right behind her was Zazou Hoffman and Samson II in 5th, and Ben Asselin placed 6th for Canada.
International competition at Thunderbird continues on Friday with the $35,000 Steel-Craft Door Products Cup, and culminates with the $135,600 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Grand Prix, presented by Facet Advisors, on Sunday, August 27.
As the first 2017/2018 FEI World Cup Jumping qualifier of the North American League – West Coast, all eyes will be on the top finishers as an early indicator of frontrunners on the road to the 2018 FEI World Cup Final next April in Paris, France.
Vote for who you think will win Sunday’s World Cup qualifier at this link!
See the complete results of the Maui Jim Welcome here.