Conor Swail is the second rider today, who directly won a class while making his debut at the CHIO Aachen this year. The Irish anthem rang out for him in the Prize of StädteRegion Aachen in memory of District Administrator Hermann-Josef Pütz.

“He really flew round the ring today,” said the elated Conor Swail, once it became clear that the time of 35.51 seconds his nine-year-old Nadal Hero took for the second phase of the 1.50-metre course sufficed to win the Prize of StädteRegion Aachen. Second place went to the winner of the opening jumping class, Roger Yves Bost (FRA) and Bluemuch des Baleines, who crossed the finish line two tenths of a second behind him, followed by the first victorious Aachen debutant of the day, Wilm Vermeir (BEL), this time with Enola Gay Of Two Notes Z (35.81).

The same applies for Conor Swail as for Wilm Vermeir: He had previously attended the show several times as a spectator, but he is actually taking part in the CHIO for the first time this year in 2022. What that means to him? “The fact that I was in Spruce Meadows two weeks ago and there is another show there this week, says it all. Instead, I came here with my horses. I may never get the chance again in my life and I have two super horses with me.”

One of them is today’s winner, Nadal Hero, a Kannan son out of the same dam as Christian Ahlmann’s super star, Taloubet Z. And Nadal Hero is doing justice to his pedigree. “He is just nine and I have only ridden him at five or six shows. We still have work ahead of us; we have to improve his rideability slightly. But he loves cantering and jumping. So, I think it is a super experience for him to compete here, also against the older horses.” Swail also thinks he is going to be a horse for five-star classes. “He has already jumped a five-star Grand Prix and was clear. I think he might become a really, really good Grand Prix horse.”

Swail is riding his Hanoverian-bred gelding, Count Me In, in the Big Tour this year. Swail won several legs of the World Cup series in 2021/22 with Count Me In and the pair ultimately finished eighth in the Final in Leipzig.