FOR the second year running, the USA’s Hallie Coon competed two Irish Sport Horses at Le Lion d’Angers, this time winning a bronze medal in the CCI2*-L for six-year-olds on Tykillen Tango whose breeder, Ciara Kinsella, was there in support.

The Co Wexford veterinary surgeon revealed to Irish Horse World how the England-based American international came to buy the Tyson gelding who had his first BE100 start at Moreton Morrell in early May and completed the CCI2*-S events at Wellington in August and at Couse the following month.

“Last year, I competed ‘Charlie’ in the Stepping Stones league, winning the final, after which he won his Young Eventhorse Series qualifier at Forth Mountain. Unfortunately, at Dublin, he rolled a pole in the Main Arena on the Thursday which cost us the class. Shortly afterwards, Jessica O’Driscoll (who also attended last week’s event) brought Hallie over to see and try the horse.

“She was the first person to sit up on him bar myself and they really clicked right away.

"Charlie has found a right good home and I was delighted to see that he was very much at his ease at Le Lion, which was his target from the day Hallie bought him.”

Tykillen Tango is the fourth foal out of the Master Imp mare Lisdara Impish Lady who Kinsella purchased as a broodmare from Co Cavan’s Grainne Gormley. The dam’s third foal, the 2018 Orestus mare Tykillen Jazz finished fifth of 32 in the CCI2*-S at Kilguilkey House in July 2024 under Casey Webb while this year, partnered by Myah McLean, she was sixth of 33 in the CCI1*-Intro at Lisgarvan House before rounding off the season by finishing fourth of 26 in a similar class at Ballindenisk.

Kinsella has retained Lisdara Impish Lady’s 2021 Dignified van’t Zorgvliet gelding (Tykillen Dig Deep) who she plans to produce as a five-year-old next season plus her three-year-old and a yearling by Livello. This year, the 2008 mare had a colt foal by Cartier VDL.

“I recently sold the home-bred six-year-old mare Tykillen Shindig (Dignified van’t Zorgvliet - Ballymurphy Queen, by Master Imp) who I evented this season so I’m back to the young horses again. But, that’s what I love, breeding, breaking and producing young horses and then seeing them do well for their new connections.”

Britain’s Max Warburton finished fourth on Karla Wheatcroft’s John Flynn-bred ISH gelding Monbeg Condor (Condios - Little Diamond, by Diamond Valley Gold) who was an €87,000 graduate of the 2023 Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale. There are no stock by Condios in this year’s upcoming sale but Tykillen Tango’s sire Tyson is represented by R.C. Equine’s highly-regarded home-bred four-year-old gelding Milchem Giovanni (Lot 13) who is out of a Silvano mare.