Press release from Thunderbird Show Park

Heading into the Odlum Brown BC Open at Thunderbird Show Park, James Chawke (IRL) had never before won an international competition at the four-star level.

He’s now won two—with two different horses.

After capturing Thursday’s CSI4* 1.45m speed competition with Vanessa Mannix’s One Edition, Chawke prevailed again in Saturday’s CSI4* 1.45m jump-off competition, this time aboard Alison Locke’s Nacara van Berkenbroeck Z.

The winning time was 36.61 seconds. Skylar Wireman (USA) finished second with Coolio 23 (38.4s), followed by Kaitlin Campbell (USA) and Connecticut.

“It’s great [to have a week like this],” said Chawke, who works alongside Conor Swail (IRL) and with Vanessa Mannix’s (CAN) operation, developing many young and up-and-coming horses. “My horses have been super and really consistent. That’s what’s most important.”

Fourteen of the 33 combinations that came forward managed for Colm Quinn’s (IRL) track to produce a clear first round over Colm Quinn’s (IRL) track, which naturally made for an increasingly quick jump-off. Chawke’s short track got faster as he went, pulling ahead through the last three jumps. Nacara, an 11-year-old gelding, has only been lightly campaigned at the international level, but his record is remarkable. The bay gelding has won three of his four FEI starts at 1.45m and five of his nine FEI starts with Chawke in the irons.

“He’s really fast, and he’s very careful,” Chawke said. “He’d never jumped 1.40m until January of this year, and since then, he’s been really good and really consistent.”

Chawke has been paired with Nacara now for two years, having gained the ride through his wife Jacqueline—a close friend of Locke’s. The gelding has earned a well deserved rest before targeting another international start at Thunderbird later this summer.

“He actually has a really long break [next],” Chawke said. “I’d say he’ll maybe do one small national show before he comes back here in August.”