AN outstanding performance from Irish teenager Tabitha Kyle and the 18-year-old mare Desterly saw them score a superb victory in Sunday’s three-star World Cup (CSIO3*-W) Grand Prix at Budapest in Hungary.

Due to the extreme heat in Budapest, the Grand Prix was moved to an early morning start for more favourable weather conditions. One of just five combinations to jump clear in the opening round, 18-year-old Tabitha, who is a daughter of Irish Eventing rider Mark Kyle who represented Ireland at three Olympic Games, jumped clear again against the clock in a time of 37.11 to finish almost two seconds ahead of Austrian runner-up Max Kühner with the only other double clear aboard Kurt D Z.

Kyle was part of the Irish team along with Richard Howley, Harry Allen and Mark McAuley, that finished fourth in Friday’s Longines EEF Series Nations Cup in Budapest. Ireland finished on a two round total of 12 faults, with Germany taking the win on 8 faults. The result secured qualification for Ireland to the EEF Semi Finals at Samorin in Slovakia in mid-July.

Meanwhile in the United States, Derry’s Jordan Coyle closed out an unforgettable week at Lake Placid Horse Show with a spectacular victory in the $100,000 three-star Grand Prix. After a thrilling nine-horse jump-off, Coyle and the 15-year-old gelding Ariso stopped the clock in 41.23 seconds to edge six-time U.S. Olympian McLain Ward and First Lady for the win.

“You never know in this sport, everything has such fine margins that you never actually know till it’s over what’s going to happen,” Coyle said. “If you can beat McLain, then that’s always a good gauge that you were pretty fast.

Coyle had earlier filled the top two places in Friday’s $45,000 three-star jump-off class. He took the win aboard Ariso and finished second with For Gold after two lightning-fast jump-off rounds.

“This is for sure the form of his life at the moment,” Coyle said of his longtime partner Ariso. “He won some big classes for me in his younger days, but then he had a few years of not much pressure and not much being asked of him. In the past year, he’s come back to being probably better and more consistent than he ever has been. It’s really quite exciting.”

At Spruce Meadows in Canada, Jordan’s younger brother Daniel Coyle and the 16-year-old gelding Farrel powered to victory in Friday’s Canadian Utilities Cup 1m55. A 13-horse jump-off saw Coyle stop the clock in a blistering 40.64 seconds while leaving all the rails in place. His winning time proved more than one second faster than second-place finishers Lillie Keenan (USA) and Kick On, while fellow Irishman Conor Swail and the Brian Duff-bred Clonterm Obolensky (ISH) rounded out the podium in third.

BREEDING

Clonterm Obolensky (ISH) – 2016 gelding by Cornet Obolensky (BEW) out of She Has The Lux (ISH) by Lux Z (HANN). Breeder: Brian Duff. Owner: Oliver Raymond Glancy.

*Press release courtesy of The Irish Horse Board