Conor Swail of Ireland closed out the CSI5*-W Royal Horse Show by winning the $280,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto, presented by Ecclestone Horse Transport, on Saturday evening, November 15, held as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON.
Swail brought a sold-out crowd of more than 6,500 fans to their feet as the final athlete to return in a three-horse jump-off over courses designed by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany. He and Casturano, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Castelan 3 x Canturo) owned by Conall Murray, stopped the clock at 41.24 seconds to take the win, Swail’s first in the FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto.
Two up-and-coming 21-year-old riders representing the United States rounded out the remaining spots on the podium with Skylar Wireman taking second on Barclino B while Mimi Gochman settled for third riding Inclen BH. Wireman had posted a leading time of 42.08 seconds before Swail entered the Coca-Cola Coliseum as the final challenger.
“If I do my job correctly and give him a good opportunity to do well, he generally does,” said Swail, 53, who left daring strides out to the second fence in the jump-off. “Both these kids are very good riders and they are great horsewomen. They’re tough to beat, so when I went in last and saw an opportunity there for me to win, I gave it my best shot.”
After the third leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League, Swail’s win has boosted him to the top of the standings as the race heats up for the 2026 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Fort Worth, Texas, next April.
“I plan on doing the World Cup Finals this year; I feel it’s a good fit for Casturano,” continued Swail. “He has developed over the last couple of years at the five-star level and I think he’s ready to go to one of these championships with a very good chance of doing well.”
In her Royal Horse Show debut, Wireman rode into the runner-up position. Coming off a banner summer that included double gold medals in the Young Rider division at the FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC), she continued her streak with the Holsteiner gelding (Constanzehof’s Barcley x Lasino) she owns together with her mother, Shayne Wireman, and Wireman Investment Group.
“This horse is only nine, so I’m very proud of him jumping double clear tonight,” said Wireman of the mount she has been partnered with for the last year. “I know that he’s fast, but I also knew Conor was behind me, so at that point my goal was to do a solid round and hope that it would be fast enough. He’s always right there with me waiting for me to tell him what to do. It is a real treat to be able to ride a horse like that.”
Wireman is also taking aim at the 2026 FEI World Cup™ Finals and hopes to return to Fort Worth, the location of her first-ever World Cup qualifying win in 2023.
Also making her first appearance at the Royal Horse Show, Gochman was the first clear in the opening round riding Inclen BH, a 10-year-old Austrian Warmblood (Stakkato Gold x Rachael) owned by DG Sport Horse, LLC. Returning as the trailblazer again in the jump-off, she unfortunately went off course on the short track, resulting in elimination.
“Inclen BH slipped in the turn. I turned inside the jump where I probably would have liked to go around, and it caught him off guard. I went blank and forgot where I was going,” admitted Gochman. “That’s very unusual for me and slightly embarrassing, but these things happen and I’m lucky that I have a fantastic team and a fantastic horse and the opportunity to be here at all. I’ll take it and learn from it.”
Cyrus K. Cooper, CEO of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, was thrilled with the sold-out crowd and overall success of the 2025 Royal Horse Show.
“Not only have we beaten last year’s numbers, we have returned to pre-COVID numbers through a lot of work, focus, and a shared passion in the world of equine sport and what can happen in Toronto, the greatest city on earth,” said Cooper, who is in his second year as CEO of The Royal. “The Royal means so much to so many people; I shook hands with someone today who is 102 years old and has been coming since they were in their 30s. That means something, and we owe it to them to continue the legacy of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.”
At the conclusion of the CSI5*-W Royal Horse Show, several prestigious awards were presented. Peter Cullen of Valley Green Farm was the presenting sponsor of the Leading International Rider Award that went to Mark Bluman of Colombia as well as the Leading Lady Rider Award earned by France’s Nina Mallevaey. Both riders were making their Royal Horse Show debut.
The Leading Canadian Rider title went to Nicole Walker of Aurora, ON, which earned her the Lt. Col. Stuart C. Bate Memorial Trophy from sponsor Mamiche Pathay. Phelina de Septon, ridden by Mark Bluman and owned by Canadian Olympian Mario Deslauriers, earned the All-Canadian Cup. The award recognizes the Leading Canadian-owned horse in memory of lifelong horsewoman Susan Grange of Lothlorien Farm.
For more information on the Royal Horse Show, visit www.royalfair.org/horse-show/.
$280,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto
presented by Ecclestone Horse Transport
Saturday, November 15, 2025
Rider / Nation / Horse / Faults / Time
1. Conor Swail / IRL / Casturano / 0:0 / 41.24
2. Skylar Wireman / USA / Barclino B / 0:0 / 42.08
3. Mimi Gochman / USA / Inclen BH / 0:eliminated
4. Rene Dittmer / GER / Cody 139 / 1 / 70.27
5. Nicole Walker / CAN / Panter JVH / 1 / 70.72
6. Daniel Bluman / ISR / Gemma W / 4 / 66.54
7. Mark Bluman / COL / Ubiluc / 4 / 68.00
8. Kyle Timm / CAN / Casino Calvin / 4 / 69.23
9. Adrienne Sternlicht / USA / Faquitol-S / 4 / 69.89
10. Lillie Keenan / USA / Fasther / 4 / 69.95
11. Sean Jobin / CAN / Sterrehof’s Edinus / 5 / 70.09
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