Conor Swail And Casturano Win The $38,700 International Speed Stake Presented By T&R Development
The excitement at the 2023 National Horse Show (NHS) soared during the International CSI4*-W competition on Friday, November 3, with the $38,700 International Speed Stake presented by T&R Development. A field of 18 impressive horse-and-rider pairs assembled for the competition, ready to showcase their skills.
Course designer Alan Wade (IRE) added an extra layer of excitement to the event with his exhilarating 12-effort track course. Riders skillfully maneuvered between jumps, executing daring turns and blazing through forward lines, thrilling the audience with each moment. The course left everyone eagerly anticipating what the next rounds have in store.
In an electrifying display of speed and precision, Conor Swail (IRE) and his trusty partner, Casturano, stole the spotlight by securing the top spot in the speed round. Swail’s expert maneuvering of the jumps and daring approach to the course put him a remarkable two seconds ahead of the nearest contender.
“You know, it was a quite twisty turny course and yeah, all the numbers came up good for me and all the turns; the horse was really with me,” Swail commented on the course.
Daniel Bluman (ISR), riding the 8-year-old mare Corbie V.V., claimed the first clear round of the night early in the order. Holding on to a podium spot, ultimately, he claimed the second-place position with a swift time of 61.77.
Caroline Mawhinney (USA), an 18-year-old rider, partnered with 10-year-old gelding Carsey Z. Together, they delivered a commendable performance, securing third place with a time of 64.12.
Izzy Bisel and Vegas H Win the Horseflight $10,000 Junior/ Amateur Jumper Speed Round
The juniors and amateurs continued to prove their excellence in the Horseflight $10,000 Junior/ Amateur Jumper speed round on Friday evening. Twenty-seven horse-and-rider combinations vied for the fastest round, but it was Izzy Beisel and Vegas H with the fastest round and zero faults.
The one-round table II section 2.1 format class, designed by Alan Wade (IRE), asked riders and horses to provide a clear, fast round. The course, set in the Alltech Arena, featured numerous places where riders had the option to make tight roll-back turns from jump to jump in attempts to lessen their final times. Beisel’s effort in the challenge with Vegas H, a 2013 Hanoverian gelding, proved successful as they took the top spot with no jumping faults and a time of 63.199.
Bisel states, “Man, it was awesome. It was just electric walking in there. I was having so much fun.” Bisel also had the fastest 4-fault time with her second ride on Diaz Barbotiere, beating her own winning time. “I’m excited. I’m just gonna try to keep all the rails up. My other horse actually had the winning time. So, hopefully, tomorrow, I can take my time and leave the rails up and just keep on having fun,” Bisel remarked.
The runner-up was Augusta Iwasaki and Fresca, a 2010 KWPN Mare, with zero faults and a clear-round time of 63.306, biting the heels of Beisel’s time. In third, it was Charlie Jacobs and Applause with a time of 64.231.