DERRY’S Daniel Coyle was on form at Royal Windsor Horse Show (May 14th-17th), which hosted five-star international show jumping alongside driving and endurance, as well as lots of national classes across the disciplines last week.

Friday’s five-star The Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazza Al Nahyan Challenge Stakes jump-off class saw Coyle place third with Daydream, when they jumped double clear in a jump-off time of 36.67. They finished marginally behind Swiss runner-up Steve Guerdat on Hadj de Bliniere (36.62), while the winner, Matthew Sampson (GBR) rode the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Latte Macchiato (Pacino x Torboy Lady by Boherdeal Clover), bred by Michael Kelly, to stop the clock in a speedy 34.76.

Coyle and Farrel then placed sixth in Saturday’s five-star Kingdom of Bahrain Stakes for The King’s Cup jump-off class. Of the 26 starters, eight jumped clear to proceed to the jump-off, where five kept a clean sheet. Coyle rode a very fast round in 33.38, but a pole on the ground put him in sixth place. It was another British win here, this time for Ben Maher on Ginger-Blue (33.83).

Coyle was back on the podium in Sunday’s five-star Manama Rose Show Stakes speed class, in which 10 of the 25 starters kept the poles in place. Coyle and Daydream finished in a time of 60.29, which was good enough for third place, behind Victor Bettendorf (LUX) on Atchoum de la Roque Z, who won the class in 58.46, and runner-up Jack Whitaker (GBR) on Skyfall OS (59.74).

Bettendorf was on a roll and also claimed victory in the five-star Rolex Grand Prix, this time riding Qwando van de Rispen to a double clear in 37.41 to take home the winner’s prize of €125,000.