DERRY’s Daniel Coyle picked up $26,400 when finishing second behind the reigning FEI World Cup champion McLain Ward in last Thursday’s five-star WEF Challenge Cup at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

Riding Ariel Grange’s Cita (Casall ASK x Pik Ramiro), the 22-year-old was one of 19 riders to keep a clean sheet over the first round, when 52 combinations started. Their time of 36.01 second was the second fastest of eight double clears.

Victory went to McLain Ward and Hija van Strokapelleken, owned by Evergate Stables, in a time of 35.20 seconds. This was the second five-star Grand Prix qualifier Ward has won after also taking victory in week five with HH Azur.

Ward now competes nine mares, and five of them are grey. Speaking afterwards, he said: “I get along with them (mares) really well. When you have success with a particular type of horse, you’re probably subconsciously drawn to that.

“Probably in our program, it’s good for the mares,” Ward continued. “We’re quite sensitive and we try to reward them when they’re performing well and give them a bit of an easy lifestyle. That probably doesn’t work so well with stallions, who need a little bit more discipline. I think it allows the mares to flourish a little, because they’re normally quite happy with that.”

America’s Jessica Springsteen finished third with Rushy Marsh Farm’s RMF Swinny du Parc in 36.12 seconds.

In Saturday night’s five-star $384,000 Rolex Grand Prix, it was Israel’s Danielle Goldstein who came out on top with her own Lizziemary.

In the two-star division, Ireland’s chef d’equipe, Rodrigo Pessoa, representing his home nation of Brazil, won Sunday’s Grand Prix aboard Chaganus.

At the beginning of the week, 20-year-old Mayo show jumper Cormac Hanley won both Wednesday and Thursday’s feature classes with his home-bred Irish Sport Horse stallion Captain Caruso (Captain Clover x Caruso).