TORONTO, Canada--Conor Swail of Ireland on Casturano won the $280,000 Jumping World Cup Toronto, a qualifying class for the World Cup, on Saturday evening, Nov. 15 at the CSI5*-W Royal Horse Show, a part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Conor Swail on Casturano (Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan Photoraphy)In front of a sold-out crowd of more than 6,500 fans and over a course designed by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany., Swail  finished clean in 41.24 seconds to win.

In the firsr round, Swail was clean despite losing his stirrup with three fences still to jump, although his leg was  so tight you wouldn't have noticed it but for the stirrup flapping against the horse's side.

Two up-and-coming 21-year-old riders  were the only others clean in the first round of 21 contestants.

Skylar Wireman on Barclino B placed second in 42.08, while Mimi Gochman on Inclen BH. was third.

“If I do my job correctly and give him a good opportunity to do well, he generally does,” said Swail, 53, who left daring strides out to the second fence in the jump-off. “Both these kids are very good riders and they are great horsewomen. They’re tough to beat, so when I went in last and saw an opportunity there for me to win, I gave it my best shot.”

"I REALLY wanted to win this class," said Swail. "I've been second or third a few times, so this time I tried to grab it with both hands."

Skylar Wireman on Barclino B (Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan Photoraphy)"There was an opportunity there for me to go and win, and I do try to take opportunities when I see them. I really gave it my best shot, and thankfully today it really worked out,” he said.

"I've produced this horse," Swail said. "He's an incredible athlete. As much as it's a great win for me, he really deserves it more than me."

After Gochman and Wireman went clean as the first and third in the class, making it look easy, the remaining riders until Swail had rails down throughout the course, particularly late in the course, with the final line featuring a most-delicate plank positioned close to the ingate, followed by a wide oxer and a steadying final four strides to the last vertical.

In the jump-off, Gochman went first, but her horse slipped badly on an early turn, disrupting her plan and causing her to go off course for elimination.

“Inclen BH slipped in the turn. I turned inside the jump where I probably would have liked to go around, and it caught him off guard. I went blank and forgot where I was going,” said Gochman. “That’s very unusual for me and slightly embarrassing, but these things happen and I’m lucky that I have a fantastic team and a fantastic horse and the opportunity to be here at all. I’ll take it and learn from it.”

"I know my horse is fast, but I also knew that Conor was behind me," said Wireman, who was next to go. "My goal was just to give him a really solid round and hope that I would be fast enough. Conor beat me, but I'm just so proud of my horse. He has come so far in the year that I've had him, and he's still only 9."

Although Wirema is only 21, she produced this horse herself, showing she is already an accomplished horsewoman

She had a summer that included double gold medals in the Young Rider division at the FEI North American Youth Championships.

Mim Gochmman on Inclen BH (Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan Photography)Swail left out strides in two places, including a huge leap at a large oxer.

"When he jumped the first fence, he was a little slow on the turn,' said Swail. "I saw a really big distance, and he didn't really go for it in the beginning. The jump was getting further and further away, He was very good to pick up there, but it actually got him going. The rest of the round he was really on the bridle and taking me to the jumps."

Swail has his sights set firmly on a return to the World Cup Finals, set for Fort Worth, Texas in April 2026, and he now leads the NAL standings with 38 points.

He is followed by his Irishman Daniel Coyle, who has 27 points, while Daniel Bluman of Israel, who finished sixth in Toronto, is third in the standings with 22 points.

"This year, I feel that Casturano is ready to do it," Swail said. "He's jumped at the five-star level for two years now, so I think that he can give it a good run. He's an incredible athlete, and he jumps an awful lot of clear rounds, which is what you need to do at the Finals."

The North American League resumes in Los Angeles (USA) on Saturday, Nov. 22.

 During the afternoon session, Aaron Vale on I.Adermie R 4 won the K9 Challenge.

This is a fascinating and great fun class in which a rider jumps a speed round immediately followed by a dog running an agility course for time.

The horse's and the dog's times are added together to decide the winner.

Vale was paired with a Doberman pinscher that sped through the intricate course of hoops to run through, poles to be twisted around, a seesaw and a big fence in the fastest time for the dogs.

Canada's Sean Jobin on Engaye d'Amaury, paired with a Belgian shepherd was second, and Daniel Coyleo n Farrel, paired with a tiny by fast dog was third.

At the conclusion of the CSI5*-W Royal Horse Show, Mark Bluman of Colombia won the Leading Rider title while France's Nina Mallevaey was the Leading Lady Rider.

Both riders were making their Royal Horse Show debut.

The Leading Canadian Rider title went to Nicole Walker.