LEXINGTON, Ky.--Ireland’s Conor Swail on Casturano won the $225,000 Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix Saturday evening, April 27,during the Kentucky Three-Day Even.
Conor Swail on Casturano (Photo by Callie Clement)Swail finished clean in the jump-off in 40.96 seconds to beat Egypt’s Nayel Nassar on Igor Van De Wittemoere, clean in 41.48, with Charlotte Jacobs on Rincoola Milsean third, clean in 42.39.
From a starting field of 38 over course designer Guilherme Jorge’s first-round test, six moved on to the jump-off.
Nassar set the standard with a clean round in a speedy time of 41.48 seconds, and Jacobs and Rincoola Milsean would ultimately finish with a slightly slower clean round in a time of 42.39.
Venezuela’s Luis Fernando Larrazabal on Condara had the time, 40.9 seconds, but had a rail down to finish fifth.
Swail went second-to-last and took over the lead on a clean 40.96.
The last in the ring, Alex Matz on Cashew CR, had a rail down to finish fourth in 40.36, and Cathleen Driscoll on Arome, was sixth with 12 faults.
“I’VE HAD HIM for around a year,” Swail said of Casturano. “The horse jumps clear after clear after clear, and the confidence you get from jumping a horse with so much ability and how much he’s grown over the last year, I’m very excited about him."
“If he keeps doing what he’s doing, I think he’ll end up one of the best horses in the world,” he said. “I’m so lucky to have him, and I’m looking forward to what’s coming next with him.”
“Going into the jump-off, I knew Charlotte is on fantastically quick horse and coming off super round yesterday, and Conor, you can never count out,” Nasser said. “The number of times I’ve lost to this guy, I can’t even guess. But that’s the beauty of this sport, I think — it’s not over until it’s over. Conor is a favorite of mine to watch, and I can’t say his win is unexpected.”
Jacobs on Rincoola Milsean started the week by winning the $35,000 Welcome Speed Cup on Friday night.
“My horse felt really confident in the speed class, and he’s the type that the more you go, the better it is. He builds off that confidence, so I was looking forward to tonight,” Jacobs said.
“It’s a fantastic show, and the organizers put on an incredible event,” Jacobs said. “I was able to watch some of the three-day event today, and that was really cool. Tonight was next level; it’s not often we get crowds like that in our sport, so it’s great.”
“I thought it was awesome, so cool,” Nassar said. “You don’t get many opportunities to jump in front of crowds like that. It’s really special and is going to stay on our calendar for a while. I’m super looking forward to next year.”
Next year, there will be some additional changes to the Kentucky Invitational, as according to EEI executive director Erin Woodall, the competition hopes to become a CSI5*.
“The application and other paperwork are done, and we are pending a CSI5* designation for next year,” she said.
Derek Braun, who helped found the competition and is also the organizer of the Split Rock Jumping Tour, says there will be some adjustments to the format as a 5* requires a minimum of four classes.
There were three this year to accommodate the Invitational’s new 4* level, and he’s confident the competition will only grow.
“We’ve proven that this is the winning formula for this event,” he said. “Putting a grand prix on cross-country day was always the idea from the beginning — to align with the biggest three-day event in North America and hopefully create the biggest show jumping event as well."
“Everybody at EEI and this team’s goal is to make the best grand prix in America,” he said. “Bringing it to the 5* level, it will naturally become that without a doubt. There is nowhere else for a crowd and atmosphere like this; it gives me chills when you hear the crowd stomping and cheering.”
