DERRY’s Daniel Coyle booked his place at next month’s Longines FEI World Cup Final when stroming to victory in the last leg of the North American League at the three-star show in Ocala, Florida, USA.

After beginning the season with a win in Vancouver, Canada, Coyle rode Ariel Grange’s 10-year-old Dutch-bred gelding Farrel to the top of Sunday’s leader board in an eight-horse jump-off.

The combination broke the beams of Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s shortened course in 37.05 seconds when last to go, ahead of USA’s Margie Engle and Dicas in second with a 37.37-second time, while Adrienne Sternlicht and Cristalline were making their first Grand Prix appearance since the end of 2018 and they finished third in a time of 37.96.

Coyle said it was a goal to make it to the World Cup Final this year. “In the middle of last year, [my team] decided to try and aim for the. Until today, it seemed we didn’t have enough points. It’ll be my first World Cup Final, and I’m really looking forward to it,” he commented afterwards.

Speaking about his jump-off round, he added: “I think everything was going really well until the last turn. I had a little slip there, and I thought, ‘Have I lost it?’ When I went through the finish and [saw] that I was able to catch the [leaders] – both of them have fantastic horses and are fantastic riders as well – I was delighted to beat them!

“[Farrel] is a very small horse,” he added of the Cardento-sired gelding. “He doesn’t have as big a jump as most horses, but he just believes he’s one of the best. Belief always overdoes talent, and he obviously has loads of that as well, but it’s his way, and he can do things that other horses can’t do.”

Sternlicht finishes the season at the the east coast standings with 61 points, one more than Beezie Madden with 60 points. Brian Moggre is third in the standings with 56 points.

Coyle’s victory saw him shot up to seventh place on the final league table and the finals, taking place from April 15th to 19th, will mark Coyle’s first championship appearance. Conor Swail also qualified in 12th place.

Denis Lynch and Darragh Kenny both finished within the qualifying top 18 of the Western European League.