DERRY’S Daniel Coyle secured yet another five-star win over the weekend, this one at the RBC Ottawa International show in Ontario, Canada, where he was joined by several other Irish riders.

Coyle, who is currently ranked world number nine, steered Ariel Grange’s 15-year-old gelding Farrel (VDL Cardento 933 x Argelith Stakkato) to win Thursday’s five-star $32,000 Faces Magazine Opener, ahead of Canada’s Erynn Ballard on Her Game Ball BG. There were 26 starters in the class, with 21 of them jumping clear in the first round. Eight combinations managed to jump clear over the course, designed by Brazilian Marina Azevedo, within the time allowed second time round, with Coyle’s time of 29.52 proving fastest. Ballard was almost a second behind in 30.41. Third place went to McLain Ward (USA) with Snapchat van de Broekkant Z

When asked about Farrel, Coyle said: “He’s had a very peculiar career. He was my top horse as a nine-year-old and then Covid hit, and he had some time off. He grew a cyst in his stifle and they said he’d never jump again, but Ariel came in with some magic and said we’ll give him another chance. He owes none of us anything but if you see him going into the arena, he’s so fired up. He’s been my top horse before and now he’s 15 years old and he’s still one of our top horses. It’s a really special story.”

Coyle had got the international show jumping off to a good start at the venue earlier on Thursday, when he rode Calippo 57 into fourth place with a clear round in the two-star $5,000 Aztec Equestrian Opener.

Friday saw two Irish men on the podium in the two-star $31,020 Soltek Qualifier, when Offaly’s Darragh Kenny took second place with Mendoza VDL (37.9), followed by Down’s Conor Swail on Qoreen Van’T Ruytershof Z (38.77). The class was won by American McKayla Langmeier on Chadina, who finished slightly ahead of Kenny in a time of 37.63. Coyle and Calippo 57 placed eighth in the class with the fastest jump-off time of 36.67, but incurred four faults.

The Irish also performed well in the day’s five-star $75,000 Steel-Craft Qualifier, when Kenny secured another runner-up position, this time on the 10-year-old mare Colibelle Hero Z. The pair jumped double clear, stopping the jump-off clock in 37.52 seconds - less than a second behind class winner Alessandra Volpi (USA) on Qannando B&V (36.82). Swail and Casturano placed fourth (38.3), with Coyle and Gisborne VDL in 10th place. Coyle’s last class with Gisborne VDL was in September 2023.

Saturday’s five-star $70,000 1.50m Brookstreet Hotel Winning Round class saw Kenny steer the 13-year-old gelding Diaroubet, who he has been riding competitively for just three months, into yet another second place, within 24 hours of the last, behind Canada’s Nicole Walker on Atout Des Trambles. From a start list of 20, the best 10 proceeded to the ‘Winning Round’. Kenny and Walker were the only two to jump clear in round two, but both incurred time penalties – one for Walker (45.48), who claimed the top spot, and three for Kenny (47.57), who had to settle for second place – despite having the only double clear round. Swail and Casturano placed 10th in the class. Third place here went to Volpi (USA) on Glamour, who clocked by far the fastest time, but picking up an unfortunate four faults in her quest for speed.

Meanwhile, down the road in British Columbia, James Chawke rode LFS Etoile into seventh place in the three-star $10,000 USD 1.45m winning round class at the Thunderbird Horse Show Park at Langley on Saturday.