Press release from Desert International Horse Park

International athletes competing in the FEI CSI3* competition, presented by Marshall & Sterling, returned to the Grand Prix Ring on Friday afternoon for a speed class at the Desert International Horse Park. Their sights were set on speeding through a tough track set by Ireland’s Alan Wade to earn the top prize in the $36,600 Sun Air Jets 1.50m CSI3* during the National Sunshine Series I. Ultimately, Conor Swail (IRL) and his rockstar Vital Chance de la Roque topped the 35 entries to secure the win.

Wade’s winding course featured 12 numbered obstacles, including three double combinations, bending lines and tight rollbacks. The track began with unrelated bending lines across the middle of the arena, allowing riders to open their horses’ strides and gallop before navigating the more technical aspects of the course. 

Only the third pair to take on the track, Swail and the 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Diamant de Semilly blazed through the course, setting a time to beat of 63.31 seconds, turning back tight and utilizing the horse’s natural footspeed to their advantage. Richard Spooner (USA) followed quickly after as fourth in the order with Quirado RC, stopping the timers in 71.62 seconds, which would hold second place throughout the class as rails fell with riders attempting to catch Swail’s early time to beat. As the class drew closer to the end, Uma O’Neill (AUS) took to the ring with her longtime partner Clockwise of Greenhill Z and laid down a clear round. O’Neill’s time of 70.17 seconds was good enough to overtake Spooner and slide into second but still nearly seven seconds off Swail’s unmatched winning time.

Though Swail has an impressive string of horses, several of which accompanied him to Desert Horse Park for the National Sunshine Series, Vital Chance de la Roque has proven to rise to many significant challenges since Swail took over the ride in early 2021. Since June of this year, the pair has captured major FEI wins in Lexington, Tryon, Saugerties, Langley and Sacramento, winning back-to-back FEI World Cup Qualifiers at the first two legs of the North American League. With his eyes set on Sunday’s $101,000 FEI Grand Prix 1.55m CSI3*, sponsored by Marshall & Sterling, Swail has his top mount well prepared for the pair’s first FEI outing at Desert International Horse Park. 

Swail planned his stops at the Desert International Horse Park accordingly with his tour of the western part of North America. While campaigning several horses in FEI and World Cup Qualifier competition, he’s traveling with a separate group of horses along the Major League Show Jumping tour in North America, culminating with his return to Desert Horse Park in December for the tour’s finale, featuring CSI5* and CSI2* FEI competition.