The Trelawny Trailblazers topped the podium in Friday night's CSI5* MLSJ team competition. Photo © High Desert Sport Photo.
Edited press release from Desert International Horse Park
Only one more week remains in the 2024 Major League Show Jumping season, and the Trelawny Trailblazers are ready to battle for the top spot in the team standings.
On Friday night, December 6, the Trailblazers team of Natalie Dean (USA), Lillie Keenan (USA) and Conor Swail (IRL) topped the $200,000 MLSJ CSI5* team competition, presented by ClipMyHorse.TV, earning them not only the night’s gold medals but also enough points to move up to third in the MLSJ team standings.
“It was a very important night for us,” said Swail of the MLSJ team competition held as part of Desert Holiday 1, presented by Brown Advisory, at the Desert International Horse Park (USA). “It is quite exciting as a spectator. There are at least four teams that are capable of winning next week. We do have a very, very strong team.”
Natalie Dean and Oasis van de Bucxtale. Photo © High Desert Sport Photo.
On their way to Friday’s win, that team was one of four to stay above the “cutline,” qualifying them to advance out of the first, eight-team opening round to the four-team second round.
“The first round maybe didn’t go the way that we planned,” said Swail, referencing the fact that both he and Keenan had one rail down apiece. “I thought Lillie’s horse [Kick On] jumped great. She was a wee bit unlucky. I made a mistake on that rollback, so it put us on the back foot a little bit. Thankfully, Natalie was super all night, and she kept us in it for that first round. Thankfully, we hung on, and we got into the second phase. Then, it was all good!”
Conor Swail and Casturano. Photo © High Desert Sport Photo.
Once they’d made it into the second phase, Dean on Oasis van de Bucxtale (Quinn van de Heffinck x Skippy II), Keenan on Kick On (Warrior x Caretino Glory) and Swail on Casturano (Castelan 3 x Canturo) cranked out the clear rounds.
In phase two, Keenan and Swail represented the Trailblazers, with their clear rounds securing a spot for Dean in the Gold Medal jump-off against Vanessa Hood of Maccabi United.
Dean soon turned in the fastest clear, clinching the win for the Trelawny Trailblazers and giving second place to Maccabi United. Finishing in the bronze-medal position were the Northern Lights.
Then