Winslow Photography
Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT) has brought FEI competition to Fort Worth, Texas for the first time with the Fort Worth International CSI4*-W, which kicked off on Wednesday, December 15, with exciting show jumping action in the Will Rogers Coliseum. Highlighting Thursday’s competition was the $75,000 Restylane 1.50m Welcome CSI4*-W, where 39 horse-and-rider combinations from nine nations were tested over a masterful track set by course designer Anderson Lima (BRA) and Nick Granat (USA). Representing the United States, Hunter Holloway and The Hays Investment Group’s Pepita Con Spita topped the talented field, with Margie Engle (USA) and Gladewinds Partners LLC’s Royce finishing in second, and Ailish Cunniffe (USA) and Graylish LLC’s Vilvaldi Du Theil finishing in third to round out the night’s all-female podium. Saturday night highlighted the most anticipated event of the Fort Worth International CSI4*-W at the Will Rogers Coliseum, the $215,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Fort Worth CSI4*-W, presented by Lugano Diamonds. In the end, it was Ireland’s Conor Swail, the current leader of the Longines FEI World Cup™ North American League (NAL) standings, who took home the victory as he and Sandy Lupton’s Count Me In outpaced the field and added 20 points to his lead. Swail increased his edge over Tiffany Foster (CAN), who remains second in the standings after taking home the night’s reserve honors aboard Artisan Farms LLC’s Figor, followed by Ailish Cunniffe (USA) aboard Graylish LLC’s Vivaldi du Theil.
Conor Swail & Count Me In
The sixth leg of eight on the Longines FEI World Cup™ NAL schedule, Saturday evening’s class offered prized ranking points towards the 2022 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Leipzig, Germany. Course designer Anderson Lima created an expert course to test competitors from nine nations with a 16-effort track set up to 1.60m in height. As the first pair on the start list, Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run’s Risen showed the rest of the riders how to clear the track fault-free. They were quickly joined by Alessandra Volpi (USA) aboard Berlinda and by Cunniffe. Continuing through the order of go, Swail, Katie Laurie (AUS), Nicolas Pizarro (MEX), Margie Engle (USA), and Foster also added their names to the jump-off line-up. Vanderveen and Volpi were the first riders back in the ring for the shortened pattern of seven obstacles and each had an unlucky four fault score. Cunniffe was the first to have a fault-free jump-off ride, setting the pace in 35.57 seconds, but she was quickly bested by Swail, who stopped the clock in a blazing 33.18 seconds. Foster and Figor rounded out the jump-off with a clear round in just 33.27 seconds, less than one tenth of a second behind Swail, landing the pair in second place. Swail’s win adds to a long list of recent victories at the 4 and 5* levels, including two Longines FEI
Margie Engle & Royce
Jumping World Cup™ wins in Vancouver, BC and Sacramento, CA. Competition at the Fort Worth International CSI4*-W concluded on Sunday, December 19 with a Speed and a National Prix events. In the $40,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.45m FEI Speed Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run’s Prince of Peace took the win. Britain’s Rowan Willis aboard Wellington Grey Goose took second with Conor Swail (IRE) and Gamble took third. In the $20,000 Restylane 1.35m National Prix it was Laurel Walker and Gatsby taking the win. Jordan Gilchrist and Nicolosi took second and Avery Griffin aboard MTM Reve Du Paradis rounded out the top three. “I think this was the absolute perfect venue for our first 4* event,” said the show’s organizer, Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT) president and founder, Derek Braun. “I am so thankful to Erin [Davis-Heineking], Christian [Heineking] and their team for bringing us here to Fort Worth. I have been in show jumping my entire life and have competed all across America and I really think the atmosphere in this stadium tonight was unlike anything I have ever experienced in the United States indoors. I offer a big thank you to the city of Fort Worth for supporting us.” w
Lauren Greaves
Tiffany Foster & Figor
Ailish Cunniffe & Vivaldi du Theil February 2022 SouthWest Horse Trader
Winslow Photography
Contributed Courtesy SRJT, Photography by Winslow Photography
Hunter Holloway & Pepita Con Spita
Jerry Mohme Photography
Split Rock Jumping Tour Speeds into Fort Worth
Split Rock Jumping Tour
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