UP until Tuesday’s individual final, Daniel Coyle’s ‘heart horse’ Legacy gave him everything she had in her tank.

The 14-year-old mare by Chippendale Z, who is owned by Ariel Grange, was phenomenal over three massive rounds at the Paris Olympic Games, and was one of just three horses who started the individual final with zero faults in the competition so far.

Sadly, they came unstuck in the final round after losing a shoe and running out of gas, eventually opting to retire.

“She was magic,” Coyle said after his first round on Thursday.

“Everything she’s done for me already, she doesn’t owe me anything, but when she gets to places like this and gives you these kind of performances, you always expect more and expect more of yourself, so we’re not here just to compete.

Ariel Grange was by Daniel and Legacy’s side at every moment of the championship from the warm up right until they went into the ring.

“It’s a really cool moment that, because Ariel bought her as an eight-year-old and has been there the whole way through. We try not to change anything, all the way to this point from the World Cups earlier in the year to today, we just try and keep everything the same, because the end of the day I need to ride the best I can with the best support and also Legacy, she would think something was different if Ariel wasn’t there.”

“She’s an amazing horse, she always gives all she’s got. And if that isn’t good enough, I don’t want any more. She’s 14, but her mind doesn’t think she is, which is hard but obviously she’s just feeling great.”

Touching on the disappointment of the team competition last Friday, Coyle said: “It’s no point saying ‘oh, I was fine’, I was very disappointed.

“I was very proud and her and myself doing the clear rounds. But like I said, we win as a team and we lose as a team, because a lot of the times we lose.

“The low moments are the most important, because it wasn’t that long ago me and Legacy were in Herning and we had a great start to the week and it all came crashing down on last day.

“I have had that feeling and I thought then if I can ever help anybody in that situation I would.”