Conor Swail brings winning ways from the West to WEF

Ireland’s Conor Swail has spent most of the winter not losing for winning in Thermal, California on the Desert Circuit. Today he returned to the Winter Equestrian Festival [WEF] and did not skip a beat with his winning form, landing a victory on his opening day at Wellington International.

Conor Swail brings winter winning ways to WEF with Asta Torokvei’s Gamble. Photo: Anne Gittins Photography

“I’m very happy to come back to WEF and for Gamble to go so well in his first class back here. He’s been very consistent in California so it’s no surprise that he came out and did such a great job today,” Conor said of the 13-year old Dutch Warmblood gelding that his owner, Canada’s Asta Torokvei has owned since he was four.

“It’s also great that the owners are here watching him as well, Asta and Nancy Torokvei,” said Conor of Asta and her mother, who have a winter Westhaven Farm base in Wellington for the winter away from their Toronto home.

Conor and Gamble were ninth to go in the 67-strong field power and speed class. They set a time of 31.24 that looked – and proved to be – unshakeable as the contest played out.

Asta showed Gamble as a five, six, and seven-year old young jumper. Things got off to an inauspicious start at WEF in ring 7 in their first week in competition together. “We did a somersault,” Asta recalled. “So it did not go well. He was always quite fun and goofy. Conor took him [Gamble] over when he was seven. He’s just always been scopey and had a big stride and good, but he was never really my type of ride.”

This year Conor and Gamble have been notching up success both at Spruce Meadows last summer and more recently in the Desert. “They’ve had a crazy number of placings,” Asta said. “It’s always been fun to know that I rode him as a young horse and then to see what Conor has been able to do with him over the last few years.”

As a regular Amateur rider at WEF, Asta’s nerves are tested going into the ring. Watching her horse go, brings a different type of reaction.

“I get a little nervous when I ride anyways,” she said. “But it’s a different kind of nervous. You’re always sitting on the edge of your seat because you know that they can do it but some of the turns that Conor does – when you’re watching from the sidelines you’re like oh my god I would never attempt that.”