May 28, 2022 
Eye Candy rider Conor Swail (IRL) is currently sitting comfortably at number five on the Longines World Ranking list. Translated, that means he wins a lot.
But Swail is no one horse wonder. He’s adept at collecting ranking points on different horses. For reference, Swail pilots two of the top three horses in the world, Count Me In and Vital Chance De La Roque.
Today we met nine-year-old stallion Nadal Hero & DB, or as Swail calls him, “new guy Ned,” who charted his first 5* win in the $8,800 CSI5* Maui Jim Speed 1.45m at Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) Vancouver.
The 30-deep field was stacked with seasoned combinations, but none came close to Ned. Striding through the grass in 65.58 seconds, they were nearly nine seconds faster than the runner up, Trailblazer’s Nicky Galligan (IRL), who finished in 74.11 seconds with Hermoine de l’Hodez. Third place belonged to Alicia Gadban-Lewis (CAN) and 10-year-old mare Beneficial.
“He’s quite a new horse for me. I haven’t really actually ran him that fast before, so today went well. His future looks really promising, I have to say,” said Swail.
“While I was running faster, he was getting more careful and jumping with more quality. So, it looks like he’s going to he’s going to be able to win for me more than once, thankfully.”
Ned was purchased in November 2021, but coming from Europe as a stallion equates to a lengthy quarantine. He was released from the quarantine facility in Wellington around the middle of February, so Swail only got in a few weeks of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).
“I did just two or three shows with him there, but he did some good things. He jumped a few 1.40–1.45m classes and a couple of bigger 1.50–1.55m’s,” said Swail
While time is fundamental in getting to know a horse and procuring results, Swail can attest that a foundation of trust with equal give and take can bring about top placings more swiftly.
“It’s different for each horse, but I think the basics are all the same. They have to get used to whatever pressure I use, but I also have to figure out what they like. That’s why I don’t use spurs a lot on my horses, I think too much pressure can make them a little nervous sometimes. So it’s just about building a connection with them,” said Swail.
“If the horse is good quality, and they want to jump, it’s about how to make them rideable and consistent, as well as comfortable and happy to do the job.”
His brevity in the saddle with Ned is a testament to the theory, and we won’t be surprised if this talented nine-year-old starts climbing up the world rankings like his barn mates in due time.
