DERRY’S Daniel Coyle continues on his amazing run of good form; he had another super weekend at the Winter Spectacular Show Series at the World Equestrian Center at Ocala in Florida, winning multiple classes!

The most valuable, and perhaps the most thrilling, of these was the $100,000 LeMieux CSI3* Grand Prix in the Grand Arena. Coyle rode Ariel Grange’s Farrel (Cardento 933 x Stakkato) into first place, after what was a nail-biting jump-off.

Canada’s Peter Grant, FEI Level III course designer, set the tracks for the class, where, from 29 starters, 15 horse and rider combinations representing eight different nations jumped clear in the first round. The jump-off turned into a battle between the United States and Ireland.

Aaron Vale (USA) and Daniel Coyle (IRL) each had two horses in the class and they each jumped clear on both of their mounts, so the competition was on! Vale was the first rider to jump clear in the jump-off aboard Thinkslikeahorse’s Prescott in 39.74 seconds.

Several strong competitors failed to beat Vale’s time, but Coyle and his first mount, Quintin (Quaprice Bois Margot x Emilion), a 14-year-old KWPN gelding, rode a very fast round, stopping the clock nearly a second faster at 38.52 seconds for eventual third place.

Vale then brought Obi Wan (Centadel x Continue) into the arena, determined to reclaim the lead. And that he did, managing to finish clear in 38.07 seconds with the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding.

But Coyle still had to go with Farrel. “On Farrel, you can turn on half a stride. He’s an amazing horse to turn back to a vertical. I galloped to one and hoped everything came up good.

"I was really risky across the centre to the liverpool, I couldn’t see the flags, and I stared death in the face and so did he, but he pricked his ears on it and jumped it. I’ve known Farrel for years, he’s had a few years off, but he’s very handy. After doing something like that, and turning back so tight to the second to last jump, I mean that’s all to do with the horse there. Aaron would have done the same thing. We both took risks, but at the end it comes back to the horse, and if you can nail it.”

Coyle and 14-year-old KWPN gelding Farrel rode a speedy round and knocked almost a second off Vale’s time, finishing in a very impressive 37.24 seconds.

The crowd went wild as Coyle and Farrel jumped the last. “That’s the only part of the sport we get to interact with the crowd. It’s usually just the horse, the owners and the people, so when they come out screaming and are having a great time, it makes it so special for us.”

National Grand Prix

The show wasn’t over for Coyle yet though, as he was among the 25 starters in the $50,000 Golden Ocala National Grand Prix on Sunday, with another two remarkable mounts, Jasper and Lena VDL, both owned by Ariel Grange.

Eight combinations made it through to the jump-off, but only three of them were able to repeat their clear first round.

Coyle got through to the jump-off with both of his mounts and rode Jasper (Falaise De Muze x Fleur), a 10-year-old KPWN gelding, round the shortened track first. “We planned this class for Jasper, but honestly, we had low expectations, because he really hasn’t competed since the summer of last year due to some gut issues. But Ariel and the team took some time and got him back in top shape.

“Jasper was brilliant in the first round. My jump-off plan was simple, go as fast as I could without over doing it. I don’t know him that well in jump-offs, so I just wanted to take it one jump at a time, and I was actually a lot faster on him that I anticipated,” laughed Coyle.

“I didn’t even walk the jump-off, because I didn’t expect to be in it on either horse!”

The pair jumped clear again and clocked an unbeatable time of 38.706 seconds to secure another Grand Prix win!

Coyle then piloted his brand-new equine partner, Lena VDL, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, to a double clear in 39.747 seconds to also take second place!

“’Lena’ is brand-new. It’s actually a funny story, we didn’t really mean to do this class. The plan was the Futures Prix yesterday, but she wasn’t on the list. I asked Ariel, and she said, ‘You wanted her in the big Grand Prix,’ and at that point I only jumped her in a 1.30m, but Ariel said ‘Everything happens for a reason, just leave her in’,” he continued. “So, we decided to warm her up and see how she felt. She ended up going really well. So, we decided to go in and if she didn’t feel up for it, then I would just come out, no big deal. Then we jumped clear!”

Coyle has had an unbelievable run of success recently and has enjoyed his Ocala experience so far. “This place is amazing and we are so lucky to be building such a wonderful string of horses here. Ariel has been incredible, the team behind-the-scenes is amazing, you can see it in the quality of all our horses. It takes a village, but I am so happy to be a part of it,” shared Coyle.

Mexico’s Maya Denis was the only other competitor to jump double clear. She rode Mille Fleurs’ nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding Caleo S (Cachas x U-Toskana) clear in the jump-off in 42.926 seconds for third place.

Irish ribbons

Jumping in the Grand Arena at the WEC Ocala Winter 8 show began on Wednesday, February 21st, when Ireland’s Daniel Kerins on Carlos JD Z placed eighth in the $1,500 1.40m Jumper class, with Darragh Kerins close behind in 10th on Darius de Kerglenn.

Darragh Kerins had another 10th place in Thursday’s $1,000 1.35m Jumper class with Kristoff OA, while Daniel Kerins showed his class with Carlos JD Z, winning the $1,500 1.45m Jumper class.

Daniel Coyle had got his weekend of competition off to a great start when winning the $35,000 CSI3* 1.50m Grand Prix qualifier with Quintin and placing seventh with Farrel, both horses owned by Ariel Grange. Coyle also had a one-two in the Stadium $1,000 1.30m Jumper class, taking first with Lovely Boy P and second with Jasper.

Friday saw Darragh Kerins on Darius de Kerglenn placing fifth in the $10,000 1.40m Jumper Classic.

Coyle had another win on Saturday, when claiming the top spot in the $15,000 Futures Prix 1.35-1.40m class with Lovely Boy P.