Chawke and Lynch also victorious at four-star level on stunning week for IrishThe careers of Conor Swail and Daniel Coyle are very much interwoven, and the close friends would have been delighted as they both enjoyed a stellar week of international action.It was Swail that brought Coyle to Lothlorien Farm, when the Derry native needed a kickstart as he felt his career was at a crossroads. When the master felt it was time to move on, it was the apprentice that stepped into the void and both have prospered in the meantime.Coyles five-star success on the amazing little miracle horse Farrel in Aachen on Friday (above) was just another big-time rosette pinned to the wall at Lothlorien, with the Coyle/Ariel Grange axis going from strength to strength, but it was hard to overshadow the pure dominance of Swail at the four-star show at Langleys Thunderbird Show Park.The Down veteran remains at the very peak of his powers and showcased that in quite stunning fashion, by securing four international class victories with four different horses, with three of those at four-star level and concluding with the lucrative Grand Prix victory on the Brian Duff-bred, Ollie Glancy-owned Clonterm Obolensky (ISH) on Sunday night Irish time.Swail will be in the dual player-manager role for Ireland in next weeks Nations Cup, with chef dquipe Jessica Krten on duty in Europe, but having him in the saddle is clearly imperative on current form.He kicked off in the Fort Grand Prix Arena by taking out the speed class on Wednesday with the redoubtable Theo 160 (main pic), clear in 61.73, to score from Amy Millar (CAN) with Christiano by just over half a second. James Chawke rounded out the top five with Daido vant Ruytershof clear in 64.16.The Langley crowd has watched Swail and Theo 160 rewrite record books for years. According to Jumpr Stats, the pair have amassed 74 international podium finishes since 2021, with 31 of those being victories. At this stage of Theos career, Swail aims the speedy chestnut at competitive 1.45m classesand the gelding keeps delivering.That experience and intuitive knowledge of one anothers strengths was illustrated here as Swail used Theos athleticism and dexterity, by adding strides to make ground. It sounds counter-intuitive but any underage coach will understand the concept of the insertion of baby steps to avoid wide turns and this dazzling duo showed just how it can be done with a horse on a show jumping track.I was a wee bit surprised, honestly, to see how quick his time was, said Swail. I watched James, I watched Kyle (King), I watched Amyand they were moving. Im like, I cant do those steps. There wasnt any leave outs. It was one of those rounds where the whole way around everything came up good for me. Theo is very efficient, he moves the legs quickly. He hasnt the biggest step, but he turned beautifully.I think he was just so fast and efficient and very good everywhere. It thankfully made me just that little bit quicker.Obviously, hes getting a little older (14), but hes been such a servant for me and wins so much, Swail said, noting that they picked up three wins at the Desert Winter Circuit over the winter and a pair of second-place finishes earlier this month in Mexico. Hes such a great horse, so Im lucky to have him.Swail bagged a double the following day. In the four-star Challenge. Canadas Nicole Walker and Excellent B set an early standard in the 1.45m class but Swail would not be denied in the jump-off. With a target of 38.07 seconds to beat, the Darragh Cross native and Nadal Hero & D (above), shaved over half a second off, clocking in at 37.47 seconds.I was last to go. I saw Nikki and she had a lovely roundI thought she was quite quick, said Swail. I tried to be as efficient as I can and keep him comfortable. This is his first FEI win in a couple of years. I am so happy with him.Swail and the 13-year-old BWP gelding were part of Irelands Nations Cup-winning team at Tbird in 2023 and picked up a pair of wins in 2022, but have been absent from the international ring since 2024. The striking chestnut has been competing instead with Swails wife, Samantha van der Woude-Swail. The Irishman only recently took the ride back after the couple welcomed a daughter.My wife was jumping him in the 1.20m and 1.30m for over a year. The only reason Im riding him is because shes just after having a baby.When asked whether his wife might want the ride back, Swail smiled: She already knows the answer, I think.Swail had earlier scored in two-star competition with Kazelli VDL to make it three from three in the international arena.While the run ended on Friday, the dominant green hue of proceedings was continued by Chawke and Daido vant Ruytershof Z (above). The Laois athlete and his 12-year-old partner love this arena, as four of their five Grands Prix victories have come at Tbird. They are dynamite when it comes to the combination of jumping and speed and they won four-star Grand Prix qualifier by swooping last and fast.They beat five others in the tiebreaker, navigating the 1.50m test with ease and coruscating pace. Katie Laurie (AUS) had taken the lead with a clear in 41.94 seconds on Django II, but 39.77 made mincemeat of that standard.I just did the numbers and shes generally very quick, so I figured that if I could do those Id be pretty close, Chawke said of his jump-off strategy.She is very sensitive, but you cannot put ear plugs in her, so we use the bonnet [to dampen sound]. And then the bit I changed in Santa Anita last November [from a hackabit to a rubber pelham], and Ive kept it sinceshe just seems to like it.But fittingly, it was left to Swail to have the final say in the Grand Prix with the Irish Sport Horse Clonterm Obolensky.It was far from straightforward, however, as Swail lost his left stirrup, while the 10-year-old grey jettisoned a front shoe during the opening round. But they recorded one of only four blemish-free rounds within the allotted time and there would be no mistakes when playing for all the marbles.The duo set a bar that was too high, with a clear in 46.65, to give Glancys grey a maiden Grand Prix success.I mean, honestly, I do lose stirrups more often than I should, Swail admitted. We came around the corner and jumped the Liverpool-oxer and it was quite a long distance. Thats actually where he lost his shoe. And then the balancing nine [to the triple] got a bit short at the end. Thankfully, I have enough scope that my horse was really good to jump the back rail. I think I was also trying to jump that back rail, and thats where I lost my stirrup.It doesnt really bother me too much. Its just about trying to get it back. And even if you cant get it back, just continue with the plan.Ive had him just over a year, and the horse was a very big prospect as a young horse. You can see the ability that he has Weve done already maybe three or four five-star Grands Prix, so were starting to get more comfortable at that level. This is a great stepping stone for him. Its a great win.He is very, very powerful. Hes a Cornet Obolensky, so hes got a lot of spirit in him. He can be challenging, but I think thats all good horsesthey have a little quirk to them here and there. Its just about trying to gauge that ability and power and use it in a positive way.Swail is looking forward to this weeks double jobbing at the four-star Odlum Brown BC Open.I think its going to be good fun. I think all the teams are quite inexperienceda lot of our riders havent done so many Nations Cups. I think thats the same for Mexico, the same for the States. So its gonna be fun. I am the old stalwart thats done many Nations Cups. Looking forward to doing a different job.Meanwhile, old buddy Coyle announced his arrival in Europe with a bang, taking out a stellar field to win the first qualifier for the Rolex Grand Prix at Aachen on Friday with the remarkable Farrel. The 16-year-olds story is well known now, as the diminutive miracle horse with the heart of a lion, that has come back from four years in retirement to deliver time and again at the highest level over the past two seasons.The duo represented Ireland and Ariel Granges Lothlorien to stunning effect in Germany to bag the 37,500 first prize in the five-star speed class, stopping the clock in 70.99 seconds and leaving all the obstacles intact.The broad smile on Coyles face told a tale after the perfection fusion of power and speed, harnessed and released at the right times.That was enough to see off Luciana Diniz (BRA) with Vertigo du Desert by almost half a second. Kevin Staut (FRA), Scott Brash (GBR), Daniel Deusser (GER) and Richard Vogel (GER) were next in line, giving an indication of the calibre of opposition.There were clear rounds too for Shane Sweetnam with the Patrick-Connolly-bred James Kann Crux (ISH) who would finish seventh in the Rolex Grand Prix on Sunday after just touching the tape at the water in the first round Darragh Kenny with Eddy Blue and Cian OConnor with Catolinue PS.The day started very well for Coyle, as he just missed out on gold in the opening five-star class, the two-phase competition. Riding Gisborne VDL, he slotted into the runner-up berth with a clear in 31.43, narrowly behind Julien Epaillard (FRA) with Easy Up De Grandry.Back in Europe, Denis Lynch was also a four-star winner. He and Katja went full throttle in securing a speed class at Mcon Chaintr. Once more, it was in definitive fashion, the Tipperarys Finest totem and his pacy partner having more than two seconds in hand at the final bell.Thirty-nine pairs were entered in the 1.45m class and though 17 went clear, none could get close to the Irish combination.A victory is always a pleasure, noted Lynch. Katja must have won around eight events since the beginning of the year. In every competition she enters, it doesnt matter, she always performs well. Its a very enjoyable show, the horses are very well accommodated, and all the conditions are right here for a good performance here.Lynch posted a double clear in the ensuing 1.50m jump-off class with Junius VD Heffinck Z to finish sixth behind French hero Dylan Levallois and Hawaii Semilly but it was Mark McAuley that registered the best Irish performance here, guiding Clooney van Spalbeek Z to third with a jump-off time of 39.71.And McAuley finished the week just outside the podium positions in the Grand Prix on Sunday, taking fourth with LArc En Ciel Z.Mikey Pender was just nabbed close home in Saturdays Winning Round class in Lisbon, having held the lead with a second clear in 39.70 on Thomascourt Victor (ISH), bred in Enniskillen by Catherine Thornton. But Rodrigo Giesteira Almeida and Comme Le Couer took 12-hundredths of a second off that to claim top honours.BREEDINGCLONTERM OBOLENSKY (ISH) 2016 stallion by Cornet Obolensky (BWP) out of She Has The Lux (ISH) by Lux Z (HANN). Breeder: Brian Duff, Ashbourne, Co Meath. Owner: Oliver Raymond Glancy. Rider: Conor Swail (IRL).CSF JAMES KANN CRUZ (ISH) 2013 gelding by Kannan (KWPN) out of CSF Telly Cruz (ISH) by Cruising (ISH)[TIH]. Breeder: Patrick Connolly, Co Galway. Owner: Gizmo Partners, LLC. Rider: Shane Sweetnam (IRL).THOMASCOURT VICTOR (ISH) 2017 br gelding by Verdi TN (KWPN) out of Nomina Z (ZANG) by Numero Uno (KWPN). Breeder: Catherine Thornton, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. Owner: Deborah Francis. Rider: Michael Pender (IRL).PHOTO CREDITSDaniel Coyle: SportfotConor Swail & James Chawke: Kim Gauddry for tbirdDenis Lynch: Mcon ChaintrThe post Four by four for Swail, Coyle bags big one appeared first on .