Conor Swail Aboard Simba De La Roque (Curtis Wallis)

New Albany, Ohio – The luck of the Irish strikes again as an Irishman wins the $125,000 New Albany Classic for the second year in a row. This year, Conor Swail and his 9-year-old chestnut gelding Simba De La Roque emerged from an eight rider jump-off to win the Authentic Cup at the 18th annual New Albany Classic held at the Wexner home in New Albany, Ohio.  Swail held on despite a thrilling challenge from Beezie Madden, who is currently ranked third in the world, aboard Breitling LS.  Swail completed the eight jump course with a time of 40.73 compared to Madden’s 41.96. There have been three Irishmen that have won The Classic since inception, Swail, his countryman Shane Sweetnam in 2014 aboard Chaqui Z and Darragh Kerins aboard Night Train in 2007.

In the first round of competition it looked as if it was going to be a ladies- only jump off with Leslie Howard and Utah, Kimberly Prince and RMF Bella Baloubet and Margie Engle and Indigo as the only ones to go clear in the first ten horse and rider combinations until Irishman Paul O’Shea and Skara Glen’s Dolphin successfully completed the course.

New Albany’s Andre Mershad, the youngest rider in the history of The Classic at just 16 years of age, was all smiles as he made his grand prix debut with just one rail down in a class that included Olympians, World Equestrian Games and Pan American Games riders.

It was a picture perfect day in central Ohio as more than 17,000 families descended upon the show grounds to enjoy amusement rides, musical performances, food trucks, costumed characters, chainsaw artists, petting zoos and for the first time ever, Jurassic Park dinosaurs.  The opening ceremonies began with a skydiving demonstration by Team Fastrax Parachute Demonstration Team that landed with an American flag on the John G. McCoy Show Field to officially mark the beginning of The Classic.  Event host Abigail Wexner presented a $1.7 million check on behalf of the sponsors and event attendees to Karen Days President of The Center for Family Safety and Healing, and thanked everyone for their ongoing commitment to ending family violence.

“This day is a success because of you,” said Abigail Wexner, as she addressed the thousands in the stands awaiting the start of the class. “Many of you have been with us year after year and that consistent support has made a meaningful difference in the lives of so many families.  We’ve raised a total of $27 million together over the last 18 years and that is an incredible statement about the kind of community we are.”

The class then began with Schuyler Riley and Q-7 the first to take the field.  The full results are as follows:
FINAL PLACE HORSE RIDER CLEAR NAT JUMPING FAULTS TIME FAULTS TOTAL FAULTS RD. 1 TIME J/O FAULTS J/O TIME OWNER
1 SIMBA DE LA ROQUE CONOR SWAIL 6 IRL 0 0 0 74.93 0 40.73 SUSAN GRANGE
2 BREITLING LS BEEZIE MADDEN 8 USA 0 0 0 75.94 0 41.96 ABIGAIL WEXNER
3 INDIGO MARGIE ENGLE 3 USA 0 0 0 77.51 0 45.99 GRIESE, GARBER, HIDDEN CREEK & GLADEWINDS
4 CASSINJA S CHARLIE JACOBS 7 USA 0 0 0 75.11 4 40.9 CMJ SPORTHORSE, LLC
5 UTAH LESLIE HOWARD 1 USA 0 0 0 78.1 4 42.6 THE UTAH GROUP
6 WANNICK WH CHRISTINE MCCREA 5 USA 0 0 0 77.68 4 44.83 CANDY TRIBBLE & WINDSOR SHOW STABLES
7 SKARA GLEN'S MACHU PICHU PAUL O'SHEA 4 IRL 0 0 0 79.18 13 48.4 SKARA GLEN, WHIPSTICK, HURTER & AGNEW
8 RMF BELLA BALOUBET KIMBERLY PRINCE 2 USA 0 0 0 79.29 27 62.91 RUSHY MARSH FARM LLC
9 ENTRE NOUS LAUREN TISBO X USA 0 1 1 82.42 X X TEQUESTRIAN FARMS, LLC
10 SPECIAL LUX JONATHAN MCCREA X USA 4 0 4 74.01 X X CANDY TRIBBLE & WINDSOR SHOW STABLES
11 VDL TORLANDO CALLAN SOLEM X USA 4 0 4 75.15 X X TORLANDO GROUP
12 EASY CONTACT HUMLAN SHANE SWEETNAM X IRL 4 0 4 76.06 X X SWEET OAK FARM
13 ZANDER BEAT MANDLI X SUI 4 0 4 77.6 X X GRANT ROAD PARTNERS LLC
14 CASALL ALI WOLFF X USA 4 0 4 78.31 X X BLACKLICK BEND FARM
15 BUGATTI VDL CANDICE KING X USA 4 0 4 78.46 X X BELLISSIMO LLC
16 BULL RUN'S ETERNAL KRISTEN VANDERVEEN X USA 4 0 4 78.72 X X BULL RUN JUMPERS ONE LLC
17 BALOUS DAY DATE MOLLY ASHE-CAWLEY X USA 4 0 4 78.81 X X LOUISBURG FARM
18 RETIRO MCLAIN WARD X USA 4 0 4 79.05 X X MCLAIN WARD & SUSAN HELLER
19 CASSINJA ALISON ROBITAILLE X USA 4 0 4 79.12 X X MR. & MRS. BERTRAM R. FIRESTONE
20 MAN IN BLACK ANDRE MERSHAD X USA 4 0 4 80.18 X X MERSHAD STABLES, LLC
21 BIJOU DE BALOU KATHERINE DINAN X USA 4 1 5 82.55 X X GRANT ROAD PARTNERS LLC
22 CONCONCRETO BELIEVE DANIEL BLUMAN X COL 8 0 8 76.6 X X BLUE STAR INVESTMENTS
23 WAYFARER PETER LEONE X USA 8 0 8 77.9 X X LIONSHARE FARM
24 Q-7 SCHUYLER RILEY X USA 8 0 8 77.91 X X WOLFSTONE STABLES & SALES INC.
25 CALL ME HANNES DAVID BEISEL X USA 8 0 8 79.26 X X HARLOWE INVESTMENT ENTERPRISES, LLC
26 PARATROOPER TODD MINIKUS X USA 12 0 12 77.28 X X LORI CUSTER
27 PLAYBOY CHARLIE JAYNE X USA 12 0 12 78.56 X X CHARLIE JAYNE
28 EVENING STAR HEATHER CARISTO-WILLIAMS X USA 12 0 12 80.21 X X MR. & MRS. RALPH CARISTO
29 HARLEY DAVID NICOLE BELLISSIMO X USA 20 0 20 79.44 X X BELLISSIMO LLC
30 PROF DE LA ROQUE ANDREW KOCHER X USA RET. X RET. X X X POSTAGE STAMP FARM, LLC

New this year, The Classic awarded a groom’s prize for the best turned out horse.  It was won by Tania Bordas, groom for the winning horse, Simba De La Roque.

In addition to the afternoon’s exciting grand prix, Classic-goers were treated to live performances by pop duo Timeflies, Dove Cameron (Disney Channel's Liv and Maddie, Descendants), pop trio Before You Exit, country singer-songwriter RaeLynn and rising teen star and singer-songwriter Skylar Stecker at the Concert at The Classic presented by Justice. The show was a hit with guests of all ages and cheers from the crowd could be heard throughout The Classic grounds.

This 18th New Albany Classic included the largest family day carnival to date. The thrilling Dinosaur Adventure courtesy of the ScareFactory and the Fachman family was the undeniable hit of the midway. Guests lined up the entire day to get up close and personal with film-used dinosaurs from the Jurassic Park movies. The inaugural Dance, Sing, and Roar! stage was a crowd favorite as well, featuring performances by Columbus Children’s Theatre and BalletMet, as well as live shows from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and Royal Arts Sport Fencing Academy.

Returning favorites like the zipline, costumed characters, a synthetic ice skating rink and more combined with new attractions like dinosaurs, lightsaber duels and live chainsaw carving create the multi-faceted event that was named the #1 Specialty Equestrian Event by the North American Riders Group for the third year in a row. This truly one-of-a-kind fundraiser drew nearly 17,000 people this year and raised $1.7 million, ensuring that The Center for Family Safety and Healing (TCFSH) can continue to offer its vital services. Visitors and the more than 350 event volunteers alike were proud to support TCFSH in its continued goal to break the cycle of family violence.

About The New Albany Classic Invitational Grand Prix & Family Day

The New Albany Classic Invitational Grand Prix & Family Day presented by JPMorgan Chase and Co. takes place annually at the Wexner home in New Albany, Ohio. The event raises more than $1.7 million annually for The Center for Family Safety and Healing and features a lively country fair for families, Concert at The Classic presented by Justice, and an international show jumping competition among Olympic equestrians and their mounts for $125,000 in prize money.  Since its inception, The Classic has raised more than $25 million to support The Center for Family Safety and Healing to break the cycle of family violence and to restore hope. In 2015, The Classic was named the #1 Specialty Equestrian Event by the North American Riders Group for the third year in a row.

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About The Center for Family Safety and Healing
The Center for Family Safety and Healing fully addresses all aspects of family violence, including child abuse and neglect, teen dating abuse, domestic violence, and elder abuse. Our multidisciplinary team approach includes a one-stop, coordinated response to family violence for individuals and families through partnerships with law enforcement, child protective services, prosecution, and a wide range of community resources along with an expanded forum for education, advocacy, and ongoing research. Partners include CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence, the Columbus Division of Police Special Victims Bureau, Franklin County Children Services, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, Nationwide Children’s Behavioral Health Services, and Nationwide Children’s Division of Child and Family Advocacy.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) employs more than 19,000 people in Columbus and central Ohio, making it the region’s largest private sector employer. It is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.6 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.