DERRY’S Daniel Coyle came out on top of the four-star $32,000 1.45m Winning Round class at the latest winter fixture at the World Equestrian Center at Ocala in Florida riding his talented gelding Incredible. Some 31 starters took on the course, with only five jumping clear in the first round - although the usual 10 combinations proceeded to round two. Four pairings kept a clean slate second time out, with Coyle’s time of 40.96 proving best. Laura Kraut (USA) on Una Mariposa was next best in 41.52, with another Irish man, Offaly’s Darragh Kenny completing the podium in third place on board Mendoza (42.21). Kenny is clearly thrilled to be back competing again and had travelled across to Ocala from Wellington.
In the ribbons
The show had started on Wednesday, when the two-star $1,000 1.35m two-phase class saw Kenny ride Kayne E into fifth place from a start list of 35, where 15 combinations managed to jump double clear rounds.
Kenny then finished on the podium in the four-star $1,000 1.40m two-phase class with Zero K. A total of 41 pairings started out, with 18 jumping clear in the first round. Just nine of these completed the second round, of whom only the top two were clear again. Kenny placed third with an unlucky four faults in the jump-off, behind Natalie Dean (USA) on Fornett D’Emeraude in first place and Zoe Conter (BEL) on La Una in second.
Thursday’s four-star $117,000 Grand Prix qualifier saw a start list of 50, with 11 booking their place in the jump-off, four of whom completed without fault. Ireland’s Paul O’Shea was among them, placing fourth on board Manglar LS La Silla.
O’Shea went on to win the day’s $1,500 1.40m Jumper class riding Ouija, while fellow countryman Robert Blanchette finished fourth and fifth with Coupis and Chardonnay respectively. O’Shea also took second and sixth places in the $1,000 1.35m Jumper class on Primo CBI Cornet and Madonna from a start list of 44.
Friday’s two-star $32,000 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier saw Daniel Coyle ride Calippo 57 into eighth place out of 32 starters, nine of whom made it into the jump-off, while the day’s $1,000 1.35m Jumper class saw Jonathan Corrigan riding Hunter Des Forets into second place from a start list of 24.
On Saturday, there were two Irish men in the top 10 of the $15,000 1.40m Futures Prix, when O’Shea rode Madonna into third place and Coyle placed ninth with VDL Obsession.
Meanwhile, the four-star $32,000 1.45m speed class saw a podium finish for Corrigan when he rode Darius De Kerglenn into third place and Kenny won the 11-strong two-star $10,000 1.40m speed class on board Kayne E.
Kenny and Zero K secured a top-10 finish in the four-star $200,000 1.55m Grand Prix from a start list of 34. The pair were among 12 combinations to jump clear in the first round, but picked up four faults in the jump-off.
Corrigan concluded a successful show on Sunday when placing both fourth and seventh in the $15,000 1.40m Jumper Classic riding Hunter Des Forets and Tricolor MB respectively.