RANCHO MURIETA, Calif. — The Murieta Equestrian Center has become a valuable site for various equestrian events in the Sacramento area. The center has spent decades hosting many events, including the annual Sacramento International Horse Show.

The center continues to host many high-value equestrian events, including ones in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup. In October, the Murieta Equestrian Center hosted the second of eight legs in the 2021 FEI Jumping World Cup, the top jumping event for the Federation Equestre Internationale.

Ireland’s Conor Swail and his horse Vital Chance de la Roque won the competition in a jump-off with three other riders. The victory gave Swail his second competition victory of the season.

Canada’s Erynn Ballard and Huberth B finished in second, while the United States’ Misti Cassar and Mylord Cornet placed third.

Swail, Ballard, Cassar and American Natalie Dean successfully got their horses to complete clear rides where they did not knock over any gates or other items on the path. There were 22 riders representing eight countries at the event.

The track at Rancho Murieta was challenging, as it entails multiple obstacles of varying heights. Some of them were paired in two or three parts, requiring multiple jumps from the horse. Some of the obstacles were 1.6 meters high. The goal was to complete the entire path in 78 seconds.

“I really like the course. I think it will be a nice jump off,” course designer Anderson Lima said to the FEI.

The exciting challenge of the jump-off came from watching many horses and their riders compete in a short course where the horses had to complete the track in 52 seconds. Swail and Vital Chance de la Roque finished the track in 36.12 seconds, while Ballard and Huberth B came close at 37.25 seconds.

Swail remarked to the FEI that the jumps at the Rancho Murieta course proved to be a challenge for his horse.

“You have to be on the ball,” he said. He also mentioned that his horse played around inside the track on occasion.

“He needs a little extra energy to do the job well,” he added.

Swail remains one of the world’s most successful equestrian jumping riders. He has more than 110 Grand Prix wins in his career.

The Rancho Murieta event also doubled as a critical preparatory event for one of the world’s top equestrian jumping events. Many of the riders who made their way here will also compete in the FEI Jumping World Cup Finals in Leipzig, Austria, in April.

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