DERRY’s Jordan Coyle got his first competitive week at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida off to a promising start when he won the first Equinimity-sponsored WEF Challenge Cup.

From a start list of 36, Coyle, who relocated to America last year and is based at Old Salem Farm in North Salam, New York, was one of 11 riders to clear the first round track and return for the jump-off.

Riding Andrew Kocher’s Eristov, Coyle was fourth to go and set off with pace, leaving a stride out in the first line and taking another stride out in the line to the double to race through the finish in a time of 37.66 seconds.

That time was just good enough to pip America’s Todd Minikus and Victorio 5 into second place in 37.99. Britain’s Emily Mason placed third with Poden Farms’ Explosion W in 39.00 seconds.

The win was special to Jordan, who is the older brother of Daniel Coyle, leading rider for Lothlorian Farms in Florida, as this was his first competitive class with Eristov who was coming off the back of a long break.

“The horse this week jumped a few smaller classes. That was his first big class ever – he’s never jumped that big before. I knew he was good enough to jump it and after the first round, I was just happy with that,” Coyle said afterwards.

“The jump-off was one of those rounds where everything just worked out. I’d say if I did it another 10 times it would never happen like that again, so I suppose you could say it was luck. It wasn’t easy, but it suited him because he has such a big jump and a big step.

“I’ve said all along since I’ve had him that he’s the only horse I have ever had that gives you total belief he’s not going to knock a jump,” he continued. “That’s something that I have never had before – I’m very lucky.”

Cian O’Connor also got a win during week one when he guided his new mount Clenur to the top spot in Thursday’s $8,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1.45m.

Britain’s Emily Moffitt was victorious in the first Grand Prix of the 2018 circuit. The 19-year-old rider, who only switched nationality from American to British in 2017, was riding a new mount to her impressive string, the 11-year-old Selle Français mare Tipsy du Terral.

American riders completed the podium with 23-year-old Mattias Tromp in second place, ahead of veteran McLain Ward in third.