DERRY’S Daniel Coyle has another win under his belt, after he and his newest mount, Lena VDL won last Friday’s $32,000 CSI2* Grand Prix Qualifier at the World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, Florida.

Out of 38 starters in the class, from nine different nations, 15 jumped clear within the time allowed over the track designed by Gregory Bodo (FRA) and Pieter Viste (BEL) to get through to the jump-off. Only eight of those were fault-free after their second round.

Coyle was the pathfinder, jumping first in the jump-off. Despite still getting to know Lena VDL, Coyle rode a fantastic clear round in a very quick time of 36.33 seconds, which proved unbeatable.

Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa rode Chili to take second place in 36.72 seconds, while British rider Charlie Jones on Macho-Blue PS took third in 37.95 seconds. Ireland’s Conor O’Regan on Mendini DR placed sixth in the class.

Following their success, Coyle said of the eight-year-old mare: “Last week, I said to Ariel [Grange], maybe Lena should do the two-star next week, and she agreed. We don’t really know the horse too well, she’s only shown with us for three weeks. The first week, she had a fence down in the 1.30m, then she was second in the 1.50m. So, we jumped her around 1.40m to school, and planned to see how tonight would go, but after this, I think we are all so happy we have her.”

Richie Moloney on Rocksy Music, who won the $31,500 CSI4* 1.45m Winning Round at Ocala on Saturday \ Andrew Ryback Photography

Irish success

Week 10 of competition at Ocala commenced last Wednesday, with the Irish riders in attendance making a great start. In the $1,000 1.40m CSI2* Speed class, O’Regan on Carmen de Bonnieres were runners-up, while James Brennan on Reemah OL came sixth.

There were three Irish in the top 10 of the $31,500 1.45m CSI4* Speed class, with O’Regan on Big Boy Z in third place, Richie Moloney on Rocksy Music in seventh and O’Regan also taking 10th with Manchester.

O’Regan won Thursday’s $5,000 1.40m CSI2* Two-Phase Special with Carmen de Bonnieres, while Moloney on Daisycutter placed sixth and Andrew Bourns and Q were eighth in the class.

Coyle and Farrel were seventh in the $62,500 CSI4* 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier, when they were among the 10 first round clears out of 30 starters, but had an unfortunate pole down in the jump-off.

Friday saw Moloney riding Ermes Di Tai into second place in the $10,000 1.40m Jumper Classic with one of just five double clears out of 24 starters.

There was a strong Irish presence in the top 10 of Saturday’s $31,500 CSI4* 1.45m Winning Round, which was won by Moloney on Rocksy Music, with O’Regan on Big Boy Z in fifth and Coyle on Farrel in 10th. 18 starters were whittled down to 10 for the jump-off, but only five of those were able to jump clear second time round.

The big class of the weekend was undoubtedly the $200,000 CSI4* 1.55m Grand Prix, in which Coyle rode Incredible into eighth place.

22 combinations started the class, with just six making it into the jump-off. Coyle kept all the fences standing in the first round, but incurred an uncharacteristic time penalty.

The class was won by Germany’s Andre Thieme on board DSP Chakaria.

Sunday’s $65,000 FEI CSI2*1.45m Grand Prix had 31 starters, with only six jumping clear to make it into the jump-off. Coyle and Lena VDL had a pole down in the first round to take eighth place, with the win going to Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa on Chili.