Conor Swail & Gamble Gallop towards the Gold in $40,000 Two-Phase CSI 5* at the ArenaMend Classic

By on 16 16America/Sao_Paulo October 16America/Sao_Paulo 2021

White Sulfur Springs, Virginia – October 14, 2021 – The inaugural ArenaMend Classic CSI 5* & 2* kicked off its 2021 competition on Thursday, October 14, featuring the $40,000 CSI2* 1.45m Two-phase Special. The ArenaMend Classic will run from October 14-17 and features four days of world-class show-jumping competition set against one of the country’s most prestigious and historically-recognized hotels, The Greenbrier Resort.

Having played home to various golfing and sporting championships as well as celebrity events and concerts, The Greenbrier offers a picture-perfect and family friendly setting for exhibitors and spectators to make the most out of their time at the event. Hosted by the revolutionary environmentally-friendly footing company, ArenaMend, the ArenaMend Classic will feature top international riders from across the world and culminate in the $350,000 Grand Prix CSI 5* on Sunday, October 17, 2021.

Forty-three horse-and-rider combinations lined up to contest the course for the first and only class of the day but it was ultimately Conor Swail (IRL) who took the final victory. Alan Wade (IRL) designed an intricate 1.45m track which ran as a two-phase event moving from phase one to phase two at fence six and allowing all entries to contest all 11 obstacles.

Israel’s Ashlee Bond (ISR) took the early lead in the class with her olympic partner, the 10-year-old Westphalian gelding (Diarado x Lamoureux) owned by Little Valley Farms, Donatello (Diarado x Lamoureux I) after clocking in a clean time of 30.94 seconds.

As the penultimate rider to go, Conor Swail (IRL) piloted the Asta Torokvei-owned 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Vingino x Indoctro) Gamble through the final timers just under half a second faster than Bond for the win.

No stranger to the winner’s circle , Swiss rider Beat Mandli (SUI) rounded out the top three with Road Partners 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Veron x Ahorn) Dsarie on a final time of 31.50 seconds.