Conor Swail of Ireland raced to victory in the $38,500 CSI2* Mark Motors Group Qualifier held as part of the Major League Show Jumping Ottawa tournament on Thursday, August 24, at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON.
Swail tackled the one round speed track midway through the starting order riding Count Me In, crossing the timers in 62.89 seconds. His lead would hold up until the end, with only fellow Irishman Jordan Coyle riding Emerald Irish Cruise, owned by Celtic Park LLC, coming close to catching him with a time of 64.67 seconds, almost two full seconds off the winning pace. Roberto Teran Tafur of Colombia took third place after stopping the timers in 64.73 seconds with Babycomeback, for owner Trefoil Farm LLC.
“My horse is very experienced, and it was a nice run around for him and he’s very fast,” said Swail of his 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding. “I knew if things went well that we’d be close, there or thereabouts, and thankfully he jumped lovely today, and everything came up the way I wanted it to, and it was a nice round.”
Swail is no stranger to competing at Wesley Clover Parks, explaining, “I do love coming here as often as I can. It’s a great facility, they do a great job of keeping it modern. It has a good grass ring and a good warm-up as well. Everything lends itself to good show jumping and the horses being happy, and if they are happy, they are going to perform well. That’s why I enjoy coming.”
The Major League Show Jumping Ottawa tournament runs through Sunday, August 27, 2023, at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON. Showcasing the highest level of international show jumping competition with a CSI5* rating from the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), Major League Show Jumping Ottawa also features a CSI2* division to offer a combined total of more than $800,000 in prize money.
Upcoming competition highlights include:
- Friday, August 25 at 3 p.m. – $142,500 CSI5* Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd. Qualifier
- Saturday, August 26 at 10 a.m. – $38,500 CSI2* Whalesbone Group Grand Prix
- Saturday, August 26 at 4 p.m. – $270,000 CSI5* MLSJ Team Competition
- Sunday, August 27 at 1 p.m. – $225,000 CSI5* RBC Grand Prix
General admission tickets are required for all competition days at Major League Show Jumping Ottawa and can be purchased by clicking here. Children aged 12 and under are admitted free.
For those unable to attend in person, livestreaming from Major League Show Jumping Ottawa is available on Clip My Horse, Horse & Country, and YouTube.
For more information on Major League Show Jumping Ottawa, held as part of the Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments, visit HERE.
$38,500 CSI2* Mark Motors Group Qualifier – Thursday, August 24
Rider / Country / Horse / Faults / Time
1. Conor Swail / Ireland / Count Me In / 0 / 62.89
2. Jordan Coyle / Ireland / Emerald Irish Cruise / 0 / 64.67
3. Roberto Teran Tafur / Colombia / Babycomeback / 0 / 64.73
4. James Chawke / Ireland / Howard du Seigneur / 0 / 65.11
5. Nicole Walker / Canada / Montage of Colors / 0 / 66.96
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