DERRY’S Daniel Coyle had a successful show at the five-star fixture at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Canada, where he recorded wins and placings over the weekend. He finished on top of the podium on Sunday, when winning the five-star 1.50m Kubota Cup winning round class with the 13-year-old mare Urville Z (48.90), with Down’s Conor Swail also finishing on the podium in third with the 13-year-old gelding Casturano (50.82). Of the 23 starters, 10 jumped clear in round one for the chance to jump again, where four maintained a clean sheet, including the two Irish men, who were separated by Canada’s Kyle King on Replay Touch v/d Stapelheyde in second place (49.91).
Strong results
The five-star ‘North American’ fixture ran at Spruce Meadows from July 1st to 5th and saw some strong results for Ireland.
On Wednesday, Coyle rode the 10-year-old gelding Calippo 57 to win the opening international five-star 1.45m Akita Drilling Cup speed class. Of the 66 starters, 15 jumped clear within the time allowed, with Coyle riding for two of those - the winner and Farrel. He and Calippo 57 clocked 69.09, which proved to be unbeatable as the only combination to finish under 70 seconds. Charlie Jones (GBR) on Capitale 6 was runner-up, more than a second behind, in 70.86. Melody Liu (USA) filled the podium with Napolean van den Dael in 73.40. Coyle claimed Ride of the Day honours for his efforts.
In the day’s 47-strong two-star 1.40m Friends of the Meadows Jumper class, Meath’s Cian O’Connor was best of the Irish when riding Vienna into fourth when clear in 64.04. Coyle placed eighth with Obsession (65.29).
Thursday’s five-star 1.50m Friends of the Meadows Cup jump-off class saw Swail and Tipperary’s Tom Wachman both finish in the top 10. The 28 starters produced 11 clear first rounds, with 10 proceeding to the jump-off and four maintaining a clean sheet. Swail finished sixth on the 11-year-old mare Kazelli VDL, with Wachman placing ninth on board the 10-year-old mare Hawaii. The win went to Zoe Brown (AUS) on Immer Fortuna.
Swail claimed another sixth-place finish from 59 starters in the five-star 1.55m Jayman Built Cup (qualifier) jump-off class, this time on the 13-year-old gelding Casturano. There were 17 clear first rounds and 12 of them opted to jump again, resulting in only three double clears. Lillie Keenan (USA) won with Kick On. Coyle and Calippo 57 placed 10th.
Swail was runner-up in the two-star 1.30m Friends of the Meadows jump-off class on Nandos S, when double clear in a time of 36.34), only beaten by Australia’s Rowan Willis on Billy Exhale (34.73).
Wachman win
Wachman was in winning form on Friday in the five-star 1.45m McNerney Cup jump-off class on Hawaii. The class saw 24 go to post, with nine clears through to the jump-off. Wachman rode flawlessly, stopping the jump-off clock in 38.87 to claim first place. Abdulrahman Alrajhi (KSA) on Heartbeat W and Juan Manuel Luzardo (URU) on Guizmo Du Riou shared second place, both clocking 39.52. Coyle and VDL Mourinho took fourth in 40.84.
Coyle was ninth in the five-star 1.50m Atco Cup (qualifier) jump-off class on Urville Z and was also ninth in the two-star 1.45m Friends of the Meadows Jumper (qualifier) jump-off with Nord Face VDL.
Coyle was back on the podium in Saturday’s five-star $1,000,000 1.60m Atco Queen Elizabeth Cup Grand Prix, when he and the 16-year-old gelding Farrel took second place. There were 40 on the start list - only two jumped clear in round one, but the best 12 proceeded to round two. Coyle and Farrel were best of the four-faulters from the first round, jumping clear second time out in a very fast 79.35. Abdulrahman Alrajhi (KSA) recorded the only double clear in the class with Ventago to take the win.
Coyle took another podium finish in Sunday’s two-star 1.45m Friends of the Meadows Grand Prix, when runner-up on Nord Face VDL (39.76). Richard Vogel (GER) on Diatasio took the win in 37.89.