Category: Canadian Premier/MLSJ Vancouver

 It was Conor Swail week at tbird. And he saved the best drama for last.

The Irishman closed out the CSI4*/2* Canadian Premier at Thunderbird Show Park with his fourth victory of the week—this time aboard the spectacular 10-year-old Clonterm Obolensky in the CSI4* Grand Prix 1.55m, the week’s feature event.

But the win was far from routine. Swail lost his left stirrup and a front shoe during the first round—and still managed to be one of only four pairs to advance to the jump-off of the Gregory Bodo-designed track.

“I mean, honestly, I do lose stirrups more often than I should,” Swail admitted.

The mishap unfolded through the triple combination, he continued. “We came around the corner and jumped the liverpool-oxer and it was quite a long distance. That’s actually where he lost his shoe. And then the balancing nine [to the triple] got a bit short at the end. Thankfully I have enough scope that my horse was really good to jump the back rail [at B]. I think I was also trying to jump that back rail, and that’s where I lost my stirrup.”

Swail’s response? Calm, collected, and all business. “It doesn’t really bother me too much. It’s just about trying to get it back. And even if you can’t get it back, just continue with the plan.”

That plan produced a clear, putting Swail into the jump off alongside Olympians Katie Laurie (AUS) aboard Django and Amy Millar (CAN) on Jagger HX. Australia’s Rowan Willis completed the quartet.

Millar was first to reproduce the clear effort, crossing the timers of the short course in 48.86 seconds, but the lead was short lived. Swail snagged it just one round later, with a jump-off time of 46.65 seconds—this time stirrups firmly in place. It was ultimately good enough for the win and the scopey grey’s first Grand Prix title.

“I’ve had him just over a year, and the horse was a very big prospect as a young horse,” said Swail. “You can see the ability that he has… We’ve done already maybe three or four five-star Grand Prixs, so we’re starting to get more comfortable at that level. This is a great stepping stone for him. It’s a great win.”

Describing the horse’s powerful personality, Swail added: “He is very, very powerful. He’s a Cornet Obolensky [son], so he’s got a lot of spirit in him. He can be challenging, but I think that’s all good horses—they have a little quirk to them here and there. It’s just about trying to gauge that ability and power and use it in a positive way.”

The international field was stacked with Olympians including Canada’s Tiffany Foster and Amy Millar, USA’s Lucy Davis Kennedy, Australia’s Katie Laurie and Hilary Scott, and New Zealand’s Uma O’Neill, as well as proven tbird winners Kyle King (USA), James Chawke (IRL), and Charlie Jones (GBR). Yet Swail’s dominance was undeniable: he previously won Wednesday’s CSI4* Welcome on Theo 160, and Thursday’s CSI4* Challenge on Nadal Hero & DB (Thursday), and the CSI2* Qualifier on Kazelli VDL.

Millar continued her strong week, collecting her third runner-up finish in the 4* division, this time aboard 12-year-old KWPN gelding Jagger HX. The result marked a career-best finish for the Team Eye Candy and Millar Brooke Farm owned horse.

Laurie rounded out the top three on Django with a jump-off time of 49.49 seconds and four faults.

Looking ahead to next week’s CSI4* Odlum Brown BC Open, Swail will be doing double duty for Team Ireland, riding and serving as stand-in chef d’equipe as they look to defend their 2025 the Nations Cup title. “I think it’s going to be good fun. I think all the teams are quite inexperienced—a lot of our riders haven’t done so many Nations Cups. I think that’s the same for Mexico, the same for the States. So it’s gonna be fun. I am the old stalwart that’s done many Nations Cups. Looking forward to doing a different job.”

Tickets for the Nations Cup are available exclusively at tbird.ca/tickets.

$117,000 CSI4* Grand Prix 1.55m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Clonterm Obolensky / Conor Swail / IRL / Ollie Clancy / 0/0 46.65
2. Jagger HX / Amy Millar / CAN / Team Eye Candy and Millar Brooke Farm 0/0 48.86
3. Django / Katie Laurie / AUS / Katie Laurie / 0/4 49.49
4. For Dilando PS / Rowan Willis / AUS / Just a Cheeky One / 0/8 46.59
5. Diareno Blue PS / Juan Pablo Gaspar Albanez / MEX / Juan Pablo Gaspar Albanez /4 73.02
6. Kayenne Z / Kyle King / USA / Kyle King / 4 73.02
7. Battlecry / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC / 4 75.14
8. Daido van ‘t Rytershof Z / James Chawke / IRL / James Chawke / 4 73.35
9. Panter JVH / Nicole Walker / CAN / Nicole Walker / 4 75.69
10. Capitale 6 / Charlie Jones / GBR / Morning Star Sporthorses LLC / 4 77.23

Full results here.

Photo credit: Kim Gaudry for tbird.

“She’s so talented that she can win every class you enter,” said Sloane Betker after piloting Kristalstar to a decisive victory in the Western Pacific Emergency Response U25 1.40m, supported by Costa Palma’s, at the tbird’s Canadian Premier. “It’s just whether I ride well enough that day.”

On Sunday, Betker rode well enough—and then some.

First to go in the eight-horse jump-off round, the Canadian rising star laid down a blistering track on the Gregory Bodo-designed 1.40m, stopping the clock at 35.8 seconds. They left nearly two full seconds between themselves and the runner-up, USA’s Iris Hickey and Colorado M (37.6 seconds).

Taking trainer Braden James “go fast” advice to heart, Betker and the 11-year-old KWPN mare Kristalstar (Arezzo x Stakkato) setting a daring pace from the first fence and only grew faster.

“I thought I actually had the rail at the double,” Betker admitted. “I couldn’t add a step [into the combination], so I had to just commit to the long distance. But she backs herself off so well [from the jump] that I knew she could get out at B.

“When I saw it wasn’t down on the next turn, I just kept going, because I knew I was lucky enough at that—I might as well.”

Betker had planned an even tighter inside turn in front of the Booster Juice island but adjusted on the fly. “She jumped the oxer [before it] so well, it just flowed a little nicer [to go] right around.”

The gamble secured a commanding victory, with none of the remaining seven jump-off entries able to mount a serious challenge. 

Canada’s Olivia Stephenson and Gunfire PJ slotted into third in 37.95 seconds to complete the podium.

Showcasing rising talent in show jumping, the Western Pacific Emergency Response U25 division, supported by Costa Palma’s, returns to tbird in August for the Summer Fort Welcome.

$15,000 Western Pacific Emergency Response U25 1.40m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Kristalstar / Sloane Betker / CAN / Betker Horse Park Inc / 0/0 35.8
2. Colorado M / Iris Hickey / USA / Linda Rae Hickey/ 0/0 37.6
3. Gunfire PJ / Olivia Stephenson / CAN / Victoria Stephenson / 0/0 37.95
4. Connecticut / Amanda Sinnett / CAN / Amanda Sinnett / 0/0 38.7
5. Cerafina / Maggie Kehring / USA / Three Vintage Equestrian / 0/0 39.55
6. Gallup / Trista Sillers / CAN / Gallup Syndicate / 0/0 41.51
7. Qualitissimo PS / Jesus Francisco Orantes Haua Jr. / MEX / Jesus Francisco Orantes Haua Jr.  / 0/4 37.77
8. Galahad / George Balderston / CAN / Pamela  Balderston / 0/11 51.19
9. Maywise CJE / Jaydan Stettner / CAN / Jaydan Stettner / 4 72.78
10. Crunch / Iris Hickey / USA / Linda Rae Hickey / 4 74.4

Full results here. 

Photo credit: Kim Gaudry for tbird

When Kenda Murray took over the reins of Cortofino from Mikayla Brabant last year, her sights were set on the low junior/amateur jumpers. Then the grey Hanoverian gelding took a shine to another ring…

“The plan at the very beginning was to do the 1.20 jumpers on him,” Murray said, who made her debut with the veteran campaigner at Thunderbird Show Park’s Canadian Premier last year. “And then after doing the CET [medal class], we did him in some hunter classes just to warm up and we were like, ‘Wow—he really likes this and it’s a bit more his speed.’ So we decided to just try him out in a derby and he was second in the first one that we did. He loves to do the rollbacks and all the stuff.”

That aptitude was on display Saturday as Murray and “Corto” captured the Amy Brattebo Canadian National Hunt & Go Derby 3’6″ with a winning score of 104. Georgia Hunt (CAN) finished second aboard Oxo van de Bien with 99, while Philippa Melski (USA) and Cablue PS rounded out the podium in third with 95.

The Hunt & Go Derby format is a single-round competition that seamlessly blends the Classic and Handy hunter rounds into one uninterrupted trip, rewarding handiness, adjustability, and boldness. Murray and Cortofino rose to the challenge, taking both high-option fences and executing a series of inside turns and handy rollbacks to secure the win.

Off course, Cortofino is a far cry from a fierce competitor. Murray painted a loving portrait of the “barn favorite.” 

“He is the most spoiled puppy dog,” she enthused. “He is the best, and he just wants all the attention 24-7. If you’re standing next to him and you’re not paying attention to him, that’s not okay. He just wants to be cuddled and he’s very sweet—he’ll rest his head on your shoulder. Everyone loves him.”

The 3’6″ division of the Amy Brattebo Canadian National Hunt & Go Derby is a qualifier for the national finals, held at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, ON—and a clear goal for Murray and Cortofino this season.

“I’d love to qualify for the Royal again this year and just staying consistent, doing the high options and the inside turns, and building more confidence,” she said.

The Amy Brattebo National Hunt & Go Derby returns to tbird in August with the Summer Fort Welcome.

3’6″ Amy Brattebo National Hunt & Go Derby
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Score

1. Cortofino / Kenda Murry / CAN / Bradbant Holdings Inc / 104
2. Oxo van de Bien / Georgia Hunt / CAN / Joanne Dixon / 99
3. Cablue PS / Philippa Melski / USA / Anna Brenneke / 95
4. Case in Point / Patty McKenna / CAN / Patty McKenna / 93
5. Octane / Kaidyn Griggs / USA / Paige Wagter / 92
6. Heartvit ZH / Tracey Epp / CAN / Tracey Epp / 90
7. Chaplin / Sara Petersen / USA / Jan O’Brien / 89
8. Cornaidy / Molly Graham / CAN / Wendy Valdes / 85
9. Gatsby / Philippa Melski / USA / Philippa Melski / 84
10. Henri / Natalie Popham / CAN / Pam Shatzko / 83

Full results here.

Photo credit: Viola Mitchell Photography

Susan Horn said she’s out of practice after being sidelined by surgery, but you’d never know it from the way she streaked around the jump-off on Saturday.

In a dramatic comeback, the Canadian rider piloted Chacca Keeps II to victory in the CSI2* Grand Prix, shaving more than a second off the leading time to stop the clock at 35.36 seconds. It was her first international appearance of 2026.

“I’m a bit rusty. I sustained a pretty bad injury in 2024 and [had] three surgeries, the last of which was in December of last year,” Horn explained. “This is the first time I’ve actually jumped over 1.35m [this year].”

Gregory Bodo’s 1.45m short course saw five return and the lead change hands with nearly every combination. As the final pair in the ring, Horn saved the best for last, relegating USA’s Laura Hazlett and Avianna to second in 36.68 seconds. Canada’s Kassidy Keith and Havana rounded out the all-female podium in 37.02 seconds.

Horn was quick to credit her veteran partner for making her return to the ring possible:

“I’m so glad that she’s so experienced and has been maintained so well by everyone to get me back here. She knows exactly where she’s going. I just encourage her when I need to, sit back when I need to and she knows the job.”

The partnership between the Canadian rider and 16-year-old mare is a proven one, spanning eight years—and appears to be only getting better. Both of their two career Grand Prix wins have been earned in the past year.

“A good friend of mine found her as an eight-year-old,” said Horn. “She’s a very special mare. She is very sensitive. She’s very forward-going. She has more blood than most creatures I’ve ever sat on, and when he identified that, he knew exactly who that horse should be for. She is now 16, so I’ve had her for a very long time. She has been a very reliable partner.”

Also special, noted Horn: three women standing atop the leaderboard.

“It’s meaningful. It’s very good to see other women going around and dominating.”

The Canadian Premier concludes Sunday with the CSI4* Grand Prix at 2pm. Tickets are available exclusively at tbird.ca/tickets.

$31,100 CSI2* Grand Prix
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Chacca Keeps II / Susan Horn / CAN / Kingsfield Farm / 0/035.36
2. Avianna / Laura Hazlett / USA / Laura Hazlett / 0/0 36.68
3. Havana / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Kassidy Keith / 0/0 37.02
4. Flagship de Hus / Alejandro Winkler / MEX / Alejandro Winkler / 0/0 37.67
5. Guizmo du Riou / Juan Manuel Luzardo / URU / Juan Manuel Luzardo / 0/4 37.61
6. Brad 7 / Christopher Lowe / CAN / Christopher Lowe / 1 79.63
7. Kazelli VDL / Conor Swail / IRL / Johnjoe Gallagher/ 4 73.73
8. Stern dei Folletti / Karrie Rufer / USA / Morning Star Sporthorses LLC / 4 75
9. Lordy-P / Gavin Moylan / CAN / Foxstone Equine LLC / 4 76.33
10. Caipirinha de Reve / Guillaume Henaut / BEL / Alicia Gadban-Henaut / 4.77.87

Full results here.

Photo credit: Kim Gaudry for tbird.

Clear efforts were hard come by in the second round of Saturday’s CSI4* Winning Round. Ten pairs chartered a clear path in the first round of Gregory Bodo’s 1.45m course, but only one—Charlie Jones and Casirado 3—managed to repeat the feat. 

The British rider and 11-year-old Holsteiner stallion (Casall x Diarado) stopped the timers in 48.05 seconds to take top honors. Second place—with the fastest time of the day for the second day in a row—went to Canadian Olympian Amy Millar, who finished with four faults in a lightning-quick 45.02 seconds on veteran partner Christiano. Hillary Scott (AUS) and Clarima rounded out the podium, also with four faults, crossing the timers in 47.13 seconds.

The Winning Round format saw the top 10 combinations from the initial round return for a second round, an all-or-nothing dash against the clock. Jones stuck to his tactical plan with the flashy bay, relying on his horse’s stride to make up for his lofty jump and slower footspeed.

“My strategy was to do my own plan, honestly,” said Jones. “He is a really good jumper. He’s very, very careful and you just got to do right by him and put him in the right place and I knew he’d jump clear.

“He wouldn’t be the quickest naturally, but you got to jump the jumps [to win], haven’t you?”

No other pair managed to match their double clear effort.

“I turned quick enough back to fence number three and that put a little bit of pressure on—a lot of people had that back rail down.”

Jones and Casirado 3 made their international debut in March at Florida’s Ocala Winter Series. tbird is only their third FEI competition and first FEI win. Jones predicts it won’t be their last.

“Mandy Porter and Beth Bolan have been very generous in giving me the opportunity to work with him. He honestly jumps so many clear rounds. I’m super excited for the future with him,” he continued. “He’s got all the scope. He’s very careful. So if we can just keep working on in-between the jumps, I think he’s going to get there.”

The Canadian Premier concludes Sunday with the CSI4* Grand Prix at 2pm. Tickets are available exclusively at tbird.ca/tickets.

$31,100 CSI4* Winning Round
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Casirado  / Charlie Jones / GBR / Risen Eq Holdings LLC / 0/0 48.05
2. Christiano / Amy Millar / CAN / Future Adventures / 0/4 45.02
3. Clarima / Hilary Scott / AUS / Hilary Scott / 0/4 47.13
4. Cape Town / Rowan Willis / AUS / Patricio Pasquel / 0/4 47.71
5. Independence TN / Katherine Huffstutler / USA / Katherine Huffstutler / 0/4 47.8
6. Lola / Hilary Scott / AUS / Hilary Scott / 0/4 48.64
7. ZF Chacco Rio / Katie Laurie / AUS / Carissa McCall / 0/4 52.61
8. Esi Jet Set / Carly Stevens / CAN / Susan Stevens / 0/5 53.39
9. Herme des Carmilles / Braden James / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 0/8 45.17
10. Vaillant de Belle Vue / Tali Dejong / USA / Tali Dejong / 0/12 45.64

Full results here.

Photo credit: Kim Gaudry for tbird.

Call it Chawke Value: James Chawke and Daido van’t Ruytershof Z saved the best for last in Friday’s CSI4* Qualifier—to no one’s surprise. Winning is what they do in the Fort Grand Prix ring.

Six pairs advanced to the short course over Gregory Bodo’s 1.50m track. First to return, Canada’s Amy Millar and Jagger HX set a speedy standard in 39.7 seconds but toed a rail in the double to finish on four faults. By the time Chawke and Daido took to the ring five pairs later, Katie Laurie (AUS) had taken the lead with a clear in 41.94 seconds, but left the door open. Daido galloped straight through it.

“I just did the numbers and she’s generally very quick, so I figured that if I could do those I’d be pretty close,” Chawke said of his jump-off strategy.

Chawke and the speedy 12-year-old Zangersheide stopped the clock at 39.77 seconds, securing the victory. Laurie and Django II slotted into second, while Nicole Walker (CAN) and Panter JVH claimed third in 42.18 seconds.

Partnered since 2024, Chawke has routinely experimented with Daido’s bridle to suit the mare’s sensitive nature—at one point forgoing both browband and bonnet.

“She is very sensitive, but you cannot put ear plugs in her, so we use the bonnet [to dampen sound],” he explained. “And then the bit I changed in Santa Anita last November [from a hackabit to a rubber pelham], and I’ve kept it since—she just seems to like it.”

Daido van’t Ruytershof Z has become something of a tbird specialist: four of her five career Grand Prix wins with Chawke have come at the Langley venue. But that’s less to do with the venue than the horse, he says—winning is just what Daido does. 

“Really she wins a lot of places she goes,” he said with a smile, adding, “and she spends a lot of time at tbird.”

On Sunday, they’ll attempt to capture a fifth tbird title in the CSI4* $117,000 Grand Prix ahead of next week’s CSI4* Odlum Brown BC Open, where Daido will make her Nations Cup debut for Ireland. 

Tickets for the week’s feature event are available exclusively at tbird.ca/tickets.

$62,500 CSI4* Qualifier 1.50m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Daido van’ t Ruytershof Z / James Chawke / IRL / James Chawke / 0/0 40.55
2. Django / Katie Laurie / AUS / Katie Laurie / 0/0 41.94
3. Panter / Nicole Walker / CAN / 0/0 Nicole Walker / 42.18
4. Oaks Milky Way / Hilary Scott /AUS / Hilary Scott / 0/0 44/41
5. Chino 29 / Lucy Davis Kennedy / USA / E V Equestrian LLC / 0/0 45.45
6. Jagger HX / Amy Millar / CAN / Team Eye Candy and Millar Brooke Farm / 0/4 39.7
7. Cayenne Z / Kyle King / USA / Kyle King / 4 76.62
8. For Dilando PS / Rowan Willis / AUS / Just a Cheeky One / 4 76.71
9. Replay Touch van de Stapelheyde / Kyle King / USA / The Chess Group / 4 79.1
10. ZF Chacco Rio / Katie Laurie / AUS / Carissa McCall / 4 79.85

Full results here.

Photo credit: Kim Gaudry for tbird.

Amanda Sinnett and her trusted partner Connecticut have been knocking at the door of a U25 win at Thunderbird Show Park since last fall.

They closed the 2025 season with a pair of third place finishes at tbird’s Harvest Celebration and started 2026 with a trio of second place finishes at the April Season Opener. On Friday at the CSI4*/2* Canadian Premier, they climbed the top step of the podium in the Western Pacific Emergency Response U25 1.40m—supported by Costa Palma’s—besting a competitive 22-horse field with a time of 67.40 seconds.

Irish Hickey (USA) and Colorado M finished second in 68.14 seconds, while Jessie Rechs (USA) and Qarabag were a mere whisker behind, stopping the clock in 68.19 seconds to round out the top three. 

Five pairs found a clear path around Gregory Bodo’s option-centric speed track. For Sinnett, who is aiming to move up to the two-star division at next week’s Odlum Brown BC Open, the focus was on execution rather than chasing the clock.

“I wanted to have a nice clear. I’m planning on jumping two star next week, so I wanted to work on a few things we’ve been working on at home,” Sinnett said. “We were really focusing on all the different lines because there were many different numbers we could do. So we set a plan and stuck to it.

“[My trainer Eliza Hunt] really just told me to count,” Sinnett added with a smile, “That’s a big part with my riding.”

Off the course, the grey gelding affectionately known as “Kevin” has a much softer side—and a hidden talent.

“He’s super sweet, always wants cuddles, wants food, and he very much loves treats,” Sinnett said, noting that Kevin occasionally doubles as a cow horse at home. “Kevin dabbles in cutting. I work the flag at home [with him] sometimes.”

Showcasing rising talent in show jumping, the Western Pacific Emergency Response U25 division, supported by Costa Palma’s, continues Sunday with the $15,000 U25 1.40m.

$5,000 Western Pacific Emergency Response U25 1.40m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Connecticut / Amanda Sinnett / CAN / Amanda Sinnett / 0 67.4
2. Colorado M / Iris Hickey / USA / Linda Rae Hickey/ 0 68.14
3. Qarabag / Jessie Rechs / USA / Rose Equestrian Group LLC / 0 68.19
4. Qualitissimo / Jesus Francisco Orantes Haua Jr. / MEX / Jesus Francisco Orantes Haua Jr.  / 0 69.47
5. Kristalstar / Sloane Betker / CAN / Betker Horse Park Inc / 0 72.43
6. Galahad / George Balderston / CAN / Pamela  Balderston / 4 65.99
7. Gunfire PJ / Olivia Stephenson / CAN / Victoria Stephenson / 4 70.46
8. Gregory Tag Z / Ryan Davis / USA / The G Group /4 73.38
9. Cadeau W Z / Locklyn Williamson / CAN / Graham Williamson / 4 73.84
10. Clique / Ryan Davis / USA / Danielle van der Werf / 0 74.45

Full results here.

Photo credit: Kim Gaudry for tbird.

Canada’s Nicole Walker and Excellent B set an early standard in Thursday’s feature four-star competition. But the rider dominating Thunderbird Show Park’s international ring this week had other plans.

First of six pairs to return for Gregory Bodo’s short course in the CSI4* Challenge 1.45m, Walker and her veteran partner put down a speedy double clear, stopping the clock at 38.07 seconds. It held until the very last combination, Conor Swail and Nadal Hero & DB, shaved over half a second off, clocking in at 37.47 seconds, to pick up his third win of the CSI4*/2* Canadian Premier week. Hilary Scott (AUS) and Clarima rounded out the podium in third with a time of 39.4 seconds.

“I was last to go. I saw Nikki and she had a lovely round—I thought she was quite quick,” said Swail. “I tried to be as efficient as I can and keep him comfortable. This is [Nadal Hero & DB’s] first FEI win in a couple of years. I am so happy with him.”

Swail and the 13-year-old BWP gelding are no strangers to the victory gallop at tbird. They were part of Ireland’s Nations Cup-winning team in 2023 and picked up a pair of wins in 2022, but have been absent from the international ring since 2024. The striking chestnut has been competing instead with Swail’s wife, Samantha van der Woude-Swail. The Irishman only recently took the ride back after the couple welcomed a daughter.

“My wife was jumping him in the 1.20m and 1.30m for over a year,” he continued. “The only reason I’m riding him is because she’s just after having a baby.”

When asked whether his wife might want the ride back, Swail smiled: “She already knows the answer, I think.”

With three international wins on as many horses in just two days this week, Swail continues to be the rider to beat at tbird.

CSI4* competition continues Friday with the $62,500 Qualifier 1.50m, building to the $117,000 Grand Prix on Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are available exclusively at tbird.ca/tickets.

$20,000 CSI4* Challenge 1.45m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Nadal Hero & DB / Conor Swail / IRL / Mannon Farm / 0/0 37.47
2. Excellent B / Nicole Walker / CAN / Nicole Walker / 0/0 38.07
3. Clarima / Hilary Scott / AUS / Hilary Scott / 0/0 39.4
4. Esi Jet Set / Carly Stevens / CAN / Susan Stevens / 0/4 39.18
5. Casirado 3 / Charlie Jones / GBR / Risen Eq Holdings LLC / 0/4 39.4
6. Independence TN / Katherine Huffstutler / USA / Katherine Huffstutler / 0/4 41.08
7. C’Est Momo / Alexandra Biederman / USA / Samantha Buirs-Darvill / 2 80.95
8. Pretty Women / Katie Laurie / AUS / Highland Farms Ltd / 4 73.55
9. Herme des Carmilles / Braden James / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 4 74.75
10. Nicky van de Start Z / Alexandra Biederman / USA / Alexandra Biederman / 4 76.83

Full results here.

Photo credit: tbird / Kim Gaudry

Gregory Bodo’s testing 1.45m track asked some tough questions, and one pair came up with all the right answers.

Conor Swail produced the only double-clear round of the day to capture victory in the 2* Qualifier 1.45m at Thunderbird Show Park’s Canadian Premier on Thursday, piloting the talented Kazelli VDL to the top of the leaderboard in 44.31 seconds.

“It was quite a difficult track today,” said Swail. “It was quite technical. There were 13 jumps, a triple combination, the double combination, a plank and a skinny were two out of last three jumps—it was hard to jump around and definitely a testing track.”

Four pairs found a clear path to advance to the jump off, but only Swail and the 11-year-old KWPN mare (Arezzo VDL x Indoctro) produced a faultless second round.

Gavin Moylan (CAN) and Memphis secured second place with a single time fault, stopping the clock at 49.09 seconds. Karrie Rufer (USA) and Stern dei Folletti rounded out the podium in third, finishing with four faults in a time of 45.1 seconds.

For Swail, the win marks continued progress with Kazelli VDL, a relatively new ride he began competing earlier this year.

“Ellie was very good today. She had a lovely round yesterday to start the week off—she’s never been [to Thunderbird] before. We just continued on from yesterday, jumped a very smooth round in the first round. She is owned by Chandler Meadows and was initially bought for her, but she is a bit sharp. She’s very good in the ring and not spooky, but she’s very aware of everything.”

Swail added that patience is beginning to pay off with the promising mare.

“I started riding her just at the beginning of this year in Desert Horse Park and gradually built her up. Now we’re competing in some 1.45m classes and we’re getting a better partnership and trying to get that better consistency, which is starting to happen.”

The 2* division continues with Saturday’s feature event, the 2* Grand Prix at 3:00pm. 

$31,100 CSI2* Qualifier 1.45m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Kazelli VDL / Conor Swail / IRL / Johnjoe Gallagher / 0/0 44.31
2. Memphis / Gavin Moylan / CAN / Gavin Moylan / 0/1 49.09
3. Stern dei Folletti / Karrie Rufer / USA / Morning Star Sporthorses LLC / 0/4 45.1
4. Havana / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Kassidy Keith / 0/8 52.75
5. Pina Lotta T / Juan Pablo Gaspar Albanez / MEX / Juan Pablo Gaspar Albanez / 4 74.08
6. Billy Hound Dog / Rowan Willis / AUS / Senary Sport Horses / 4 74.73
7. Avianna / Laura Hazlett /USA / Laura Hazlett / 4 75.86
8. Caipirinha de Reve / Guihaume Henaut / BEL / Alicia Gadban-Henaut / 4 75.86
9. Dominka van de Lucashoeve / Susan Horn / CAN / Kingsfield Farm / 4 76.19
10. Steadfast / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms / 4 77.97

Full results here.

In most speed rounds, victory is found where riders dare to leave out strides. Conor Swail and his longtime partner Theo 160 took a different route—they added them. And still won.

The Irish veteran and his 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding stopped the clock at 61.73 seconds in Thursday’s CSI4* Table A 1.45m, edging Canada’s Amy Millar and Christiano (62.24) and USA’s Kyle King aboard Odysseus (63.33). But the winning time came as a genuine surprise to Swail, who watched his rivals roll forward and assumed he couldn’t match their speed.

“I was a wee bit surprised, honestly, to see how quick his time was,” said Swail.

“I watched James [Chawke], I watched Kyle, I watched Amy—and they were moving. I’m like, I can’t do those steps. There wasn’t any leave outs.”

Instead, he relied on Theo’s quick footwork and tight turning to carve out fractions others couldn’t find.

“It was one of those rounds where the whole way around everything came up good for me,” he continued. “Theo is very efficient, he moves the legs quickly. He hasn’t the biggest step, but he turned beautifully.

“I think he was just so fast and efficient and very good everywhere. It thankfully made me just that little bit quicker.”

The Langley crowd has watched Swail and Theo 160 rewrite record books for years. According to Jumpr Stats, the pair have amassed 74 international podium finishes since 2021, with 31 of those being victories. At this stage of Theo’s career, Swail aims the speedy chestnut at competitive 1.45m classes—and the gelding keeps delivering.

“Obviously, he’s getting a little older, but he’s been such a servant for me and wins so much,” Swail said, noting that they picked up three wins at the Desert Winter Circuit over the winter and two second place finishes earlier this month in Mexico.

“He’s such a great horse, so I’m lucky to have him.”

Next week, Swail will do double duty for the Irish team. With regular chef d’equipe Jessica Kürten occupied at Aachen, Swail will step into the role of chef d’equipe and also ride for Team Ireland in the Nations Cup at tbird’s Odlum Brown BC Open.

“Jessica is busy with Aachen this week and La Baule next week,” Swail explained. “She’s given me the role of temporary chef d’equipe. I’m looking really forward to that. Obviously, I’ve been coming here doing [the Nations Cup] for a long time and I’ve done many, many Nations Cups in my career. The few other guys, they’re a bit more inexperienced—hopefully I can give them a bit of good advice and keep them all happy.”

CSI4* competition continues this week at tbird with Thursday’s $20,000 Challenge 1.45m and Friday’s $62,500 Qualifier 1.50m, building to the $117,000 Grand Prix on Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are available at exclusively tbird.ca/tickets.

$31,100 CSI4* Table A 1.45m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Theo 160 / Conor Swail / IRL / Mannon Farm / 0 61.73
2. Christiano / Amy Millar / CAN / Future Adventures / 0 62.24
3. Odysseus / Kyle King / USA / Patricia Vasey / 0 63.33
4. Replay Touch van de Stapelheyde / Kyle King / USA / The Chess Group / 0 63.42
5. Daido van ‘t Ruytershof Z / James Chawke /IRL / James Chawke / 0 64.16
6. Kannandine / Braden James / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 0 67.34
7. Nadal Hero & DB / Conor Swail / IRL / Mannon Farm / 0 67.52
8. Pretty Women / Katie Laurie / AUS / Highland Farms Ltd / 0 69.29
9. Herme des Carmilles / Braden James / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 0 69.37
10. Vaillant de Belle Vue / Tali Dejong / USA / Tali Dejong / 0 71.32

Full results here. 

Photo credit: Kim Gaudry for tbird