Daniel Coyle won the $35,000 USD CSI2* Canada Gold Grand Prix at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa on Sunday.
The Derry rider had the advantage of going last in the jump-off. As the final entry in the opening round, Coyle stayed at the ingate to watch the first jump-off challenger, Canada’s Gavin Moylan, execute his plan with Lordy-P.
By the time four others had jumped, Moylan still held the lead with a clear round in a time of 39.94 seconds. Only Coyle remained with Nord Face VDL, and though he looked to be behind Moylan’s pace at the beginning, Coyle turned on the speed half-way through the short course, leaving out strides to cross through the timers in 38.55 seconds and claim victory.
“I knew I had to catch up”
“I was last to go so that’s always a huge advantage,” said Coyle, who represented Ireland at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “I knew Gavin was winning and, having watched his round, I knew what I had to do to beat it. I knew half-way around the course that I wasn’t fast enough. My horse was jumping very high at the beginning of the course, but you don’t need to be that high over the jumps; it’s not fast to do it that way. I knew I had to catch up, and he’s got to learn to go fast!”
By turning on the afterburners, the pair were able to better Moylan’s time by over one full second. Moylan finished as runner-up riding Lordy-P, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion.
Four-time Olympic medallist for the United States, Beezie Madden, was also double clear in a time of 41.30 seconds to take third riding Nairobi, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare, while Canada’s Seán Jobin riding Qourtois and Blyth Marano of the United States aboard Theo Duc T&L Z were also double-clear to finish fourth and fifth respectively.
“This horse is special”
Nord Face VDL, who is new to the international show jumping scene, is quickly forming a successful partnership with Coyle, who admitted:
“From the moment we tried him, we thought, ‘this horse is special’ (but) it was just a matter of whether we could contain it. He has so much blood, so much scope, and so much power. It seems strange to say but don’t need all that; you need to be clever and handy.
“He’s so talented but he’s a dinosaur,” continued Coyle. “I don’t know if I’ve ridden a bigger horse and I don’t know if I’ve ever ridden a more talented horse. Next year will be very telling.”
Swail wins three CSI4* Classes
Coyle wasn’t the only Irish rider to have a good week at the Ottawa International. Conor Swail scored a hat-trick by winning three of the four CSI4* classes on offer, all aboard Casturano, a 13-year-old Holsteiner geldin.
Swail also won Friday’s $31,000 USD CSI2* Qualifier after topping an 11-horse jump-off riding Nadal Hero & DB, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding.
$35,000 USD CSI2* Canada Gold Grand Prix
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- Daniel Coyle / Ireland / Nord Face VDL / 0:0 / 38.55
- Gavin Moylan / Canada / Lordy-P / 0:0 / 39.94
- Beezie Madden / United States / Nairobi / 0:0 / 41.30
11. Conor Swail / Ireland / Nadal Hero & DB / 4
