DERRY’S Daniel Coyle was in great form at Langley last week and racked up a number of superb results which led to him being crowned Leading Rider of the four-star 2025 Canadian Premier Show. He was not the only successful Irish man at the venue though, with Down’s Conor Swail also taking home significant prize money.

Coyle won two classes at the show, as well as numerous placings. The first came on the opening day, Wednesday, when Coyle claimed the $31,100 1.45m speed class with Farrel, jumping clear in 59.45, a mere 0.16 seconds ahead of runner-up Kara Chad (CAN) on Corinna Z (59.61). Swail finished fourth with Theo 160 in a time of 61.22 and also placed eighth with Count Me In (63.12).

The Derry rider was back on top in Friday’s 34-strong $62,500 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier, which saw three Irish combinations in the top 10. Coyle was double-handed in the class and qualified both his mounts for the jump-off. He won the class with Farrel, when double clear in 34.96 and also placed eighth with Incredible, who had one down in the jump-off but in a very fast time of 34.7. Swail slotted into ninth place with Theo 160, when they also rolled a pole (35.6).

Absence

Coyle was particularly pleased that these latest successes were with Farrel, whose future was uncertain following an injury and a lengthy absence from competition.

“He’s been a great horse,” said Coyle of Farrel. “I’ve been riding him since he was seven years old. He was very successful here at this venue when he was nine years old. He won the World Cup here and jumped the Nations Cup here very successfully for Ireland.

“He had an injury that put him out of the sport and it didn’t look like he was coming back. He had four years out, which was crazy, and we didn’t really believe he would come back. Ariel (Grange) had found somebody who could do a surgery to make him better, just so he could have a better life as a retired horse.

“The vet was there one day and she said, ‘I think you should try again’. If there’s one thing about this little horse it’s that he loves doing what he does. Otherwise, he wouldn’t do it. He’s smaller than any other horse out there, but he doesn’t believe that.

“He’s one of my top horses again right now. I’ve probably won more classes this year on him than any other horse. I need him if I want to try to stay at the top. He wasn’t there for a long time but I’m really reaping the benefits of having him back.”

Coyle also had Incredible in the jump-off but incurred an unfortunate four faults. He then had a second chance with Farrel to get the timing and the accuracy perfected.

“I was a little bit unlucky and disappointed with Incredible; I had one down,” Coyle stated. “He actually was faster in the jump-off, but I knew I had Farrel later in the class, so I could concentrate a bit more on having a more correct round.

“With Farrel, generally speaking, if you ride it correctly, he’s going to jump it correctly. And he really loves the grass here, so I knew I had a good chance. If I could just do everything right it would all pay off.

“I think the first line everybody was doing the same strides. The second line, there was a risk to be taken there, whether it was eight or nine, but on Farrel I thought he can be handy enough that I didn’t need to do anything crazy. But then, at the end of the course, I thought, ‘Maybe I’m not quick enough’, so after the vertical at number 11, I did seven strides around the corner. I, for sure, was the only person to do it and was a bit of a risk, and it paid off. I’m pretty sure that’s where I won my class.”

In the ribbons

Two weeks of four-star international show jumping commenced at Thunderbird Show Park at Langley, British Columbia, with the 2025 Canadian Premier Show running from May 21st to 25th. The 57 international entries included Irish men Conor Swail and Daniel Coyle.

Show jumping got underway at Thunderbird Horse Park on Wednesday and, as the name suggests, the 1.40m Happy Welcome class proved exactly that for Swail, when he rode Count Me In to win the class from a start list of 32. The pair jumped a speedy clear round in 64.34 seconds – more than three seconds ahead of their nearest rival, Christopher Lowe (CAN) on Cunningham 4 (67.98).

On Thursday, Swail was runner-up with Clique in the 1.35m Open Jumper class, jumping a lovely double clear.

Saturday saw James Chawke on Cara Mia 155 finish as runners-up in the $2,500 1.30m Open Jumper Classic, with a double clear in a jump-off time of 30.43, less than a second behind Canadian winner Justin Prather on Tamarack (29.44).

Swail won the day’s $2,500 1.40m Open Jumper Classic riding Qoreen Van’T Ruytershof and also placed sixth in the class with Clique – both horses were double clear.

There was another podium finish for Swail in the $31,100 1.45m Winning Round, when he placed third on board Count Me In, jumping double clear in a time of 49.34. Chawke rode Daido Van’T Ruytershof Z into sixth place after they had a pole down in the first round.

Chawke and Cara Mia 155 finished 10th in Sunday’s $10,000 1.30m Winning Round.

Sunday’s $116,050 1.55m Grand Prix saw a start list of 21, with only six combinations making it through to the jump-off. Swail was best of the Irish here and very nearly best of all, riding Theo 160 into the runner-up position with a double clear in a time of 38.95, to take the lead at that point.

Charlie Jones (GBR) was second last to go and rode a determined round on board Capitale 6 to win the class in a fast jump-off time of 36.57.

Meanwhile, Coyle and Farrel had to settle for seventh place after an unfortunate pole down in round one deprived them of the chance to jump again.