TWENTY-three year-old Daniel Coyle scored the first five-star Grand Prix victory of his career in Irish-like condition last Saturday night at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.
Riding Ariel Grange’s consistent 12-year-old mare Cita (Casall Ask x Pik Ramiro), Coyle was one of six combinations to make it through to the timed round and with the only double clear round of the night, he beat Irish chef d’equipe Rodrigo Pessoa into second place.
Like most of Europe, the rain started in Florida on Saturday evening and never let up throughout the entirety of the class, but 40 still went to post over Irishman Alan Wade’s track.
There were still no double clear rounds when Coyle entered the ring as second last to go. The Derry man went for the safe option and took his time to make sure he left all the fences standing, breaking the beam in 42.51 seconds to secure his biggest career win to date.
“It probably hasn’t sunk in yet, but that is, I think, my first Grand Prix five-star win. There’s nowhere better to do it than here,” Coyle said of his home from home, where he rides for Lothlorian Farm. Coyle took over from fellow countryman Conor Swail and the beginning of last season and has seen the majority of his top results come at the Wellington venue.
“I suppose I had a big advantage tonight. My plan was to be clear no matter what because there weren’t any at that time, so it worked out well for me.”
Speaking about the plan for Cita, Coyle added: “I’ll probably do the last week here, and then she’ll have a month off but I’m not really sure. In further weeks time, I’ll go to Langley and do the Nations Cup if the chef d’equipe allows me. Then I’ll do Spruce Meadows, and we’ll see where we go from there. That’s my plan as of now.”
Ireland’s senior team manager, Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa, stood beside Coyle on the podium in the runner-up position after faulting once in a time of 39.59 with the 10-year-old gelding Chaganus (Chacco-Blue x Carthago).
“He’s a real trier, and he’s very, very careful. He has a big heart. For a couple of weeks now, he’s been going well,” Pessoa said of the gelding, who won the two-star Grand Prix during week six.
On competing against the Irish, Pessoa added: “I’m usually always rooting for the Irish more than anyone else, but in a class like today, we’re individuals and we’re still competitors. I was hoping that [Daniel] would have a little mistake here or there but he didn’t. It’s a great combination. They’ve proven themselves at the big levels already. They won at Deeridge a couple of weeks ago and won today in good style. If I didn’t get to win, I’m happy that one of my lads got to take it.”
Brazil’s Rodrigo Lambre finished third with Coleman after a fence down in a time of 41.62 seconds.
DOUBLE WIN
That wasn’t Coyle’s first victory of week nine as he had earlier won Wednesday’s $35,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m Power and Speed with Grange’s Tienna, after posting a clear round in 28.50 seconds.
They just pipped Cork’s Shane Sweetnam and Cyklon, owned by Spy Coast Farm LLC, who had posted a time of 28.70, while Mexico’s Santiago Lambre partnered Doloris to third place in 29.04.
“She’s a home-bred, which makes it a little more special for Ariel and the farm,” said Coyle of the 10-year-old mare by For Pleasure. “She’s always been one of my favourites. To get a win here today, and it was very competitive, there was very little room for any mistakes. There was no real difference at the top.”
That combination also finished third in Friday’s 1.45m, while Sweetnam collect over $20,000 when he was the runner-up in Friday’s five-star 1.50m with his European gold medal mount Chaqui Z. Victory in that class went to USA’s McLain Ward.
Captain Brian Cournane was best of the Irish in Sunday’s $70,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50m Classic when he placed fourth with Penelope Cruz (ISH). 41 started over the track, which was changed to a speed class after the inclement in weather the previous evening.
Irish riders finished in fourth, fifth and sixth places in the class which was won by Canada’s Tiffany Foster with Brighton (0/ 63.36). Cournane was riding his new mount, the Irish Sport Horse Penelope Cruz (Ustinov x Peter Pan), and posted a clear in 69.24 seconds.
Another Irish Sport Horse, the 10-year-old Gelvin Clover-sired Super Chilled slotted into fifth under Kevin Babington (0/ 69.26), just ahead of Ireland’s Lorcan Gallagher and Hunters Conlypso II (0/ 69.39).
In Sunday’s two-star 1.45m Grand Prix, Galway’s Stephen Moore and the 10-year-old gelding Deejay (by Harley VDL) continued their recent good run of form when placing sixth with a double clear round.
Some 12 combinations made it through to the jump-off where Brazil’s Francisco José Mesquita Musa took victory.