Mill Spring, NC – July 17, 2022 – Conor Swail (USA) picked up right where he left off before leaving the Tryon Spring & Summer Series to go to Europe, riding Errol to claim the win in Sunday’s $25,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix.
Thirteen horses tested the Guilherme Jorge (BRA) course design in the first round, with five entries returning for the second test. Swail and the 2010 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ludiam x Jouvencelle de Thurin), owned by Sagamore Farms topped the field by a narrow margin, stopping the jump-off timers at 31.977 seconds.
“It’s obviously great to come back here and win at Tryon,” Swail said. “It was a nice track. I thought [Jorge] built a nice enough test for the field. My horse jumped very nicely in the first round. He’s had a little break for four or five weeks there, so we’re just getting back into it.”
Darragh Kerins (IRL) and Ringwood Zebo scored reserve honors on a time of 32.3 seconds, with the 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Califax x Ringwood Audacity), owned by NRG Farm LLC.
In third, Abigail McArdle (USA) and I&H Boogy Woogy, the 2006 Hungarian gelding (Faldo x I&H Vanilla Fudge) owned by Samuel Parot Jr, cleared the jump off in a time of 34.55 seconds.
Swail used Errol’s fine build to secure the victory. “The jump off was quite twisty and turny, so it suited me because [Errol] is like a pony. I was able to take advantage of him being so small, and we did a few inside turns there. I needed them all – Darragh [Kerins] very nearly got me there in the end. It’s great to get the win.
“I’m coming up on a busy schedule, actually,” Swail commented, “I’ll be here next week, and Vital Change [de la Roque] is showing here next week, which is normally great for me. Then, I’m busy! They [this group of horses] have a week off, then they go up to Traverse City. Then, after a few weeks off they’ll go to Ottowa, then west: Thunderbird, Sacramento, Vegas… and that’s just those guys! The other horses have their own schedule as well. Busy times, and lots of sky miles for me.
“It’s always nice to come back here,” Swail concluded. “The horses enjoy jumping here, and it’s a great facility, and that’s why I keep coming here!”
Final Results – $25,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix
1) Conor Swail (USA) & Errol – 0 / 0 – 31.977
2) Darragh Kerins (IRL) & Ringwood Zebo – 0 / 0 – 32.300
3) Abigail McArdle (USA) & Boogy Woogy – 0 / 0 – 34.550
Source: Press Release by Sarah Madden and Connelly Grant for TIEC – Tryon International Equestrian Center
Photos: © TIEC / Isabel McSwain
Categories: CSN, English, Jumper News Ireland
