Derry's Jordan Coyle and 'For Gold' five-star victory

Jordan Coyle is on the crest of a wave at present and the US-based Derry native made the transatlantic dash to Hickstead pay off with another five-star victory to add to the list he has been accumulating in recent weeks, most notably at the Spruce Meadows summer series in Canada.

Coyle and For Gold were convincing winners of the two-phase class around Hickstead on Thursday, their speed clear of 26.64, well ahead of Robert Whitaker and Vermento, who stopped the clock on 28 flat. 

Cian O’Connor was third with Belvedere and Sean Monaghan came home in fourth with the eight-year-old gelding, Tiberio Della Caccia, 24 hours before making his Nations Cup debut for the Underwriting Exchange Irish Show Jumping Team.

For Gold was mong Coyle’s five-star winners at Spruce Meadows and he can always be relied upon to empty the tank for the Ardmore athlete.

“I didn’t even think I was that fast – everything just came up in our stride,” said Coyle.

“He’s naturally fast, so I never have to go chasing him anyway, but it was just one of those rounds that everything just happens for you. Those don’t happen all the time!

“He’s got the most unbelievable heart. He wants to do it. He’s maybe not the most talented horse in the world, but by God, he wants to do it, and he loves to win as much as me.

“He’s an amazing horse. He’s just back from Spruce Meadows, and he was unbelievable there. He won seven classes at that show, and this is his first class back – he’s feeling pretty good, I’d say.”

Coyle concluded the five-star show at the famous arena with a podium finish in Sunday’s King George V Gold Cup, this time with Chaccolino.

Only four of the forty-six participants fulfilled the requirements to progress to a tie-breaker for the Grand Prix, though Cian O’Connor just missed out, leaving all the obstacles intact with Canbella Blue PS but just incurring one time fault, securing fifth as a result.

Victory went to home favourite Whitaker with Vermento, the duo stopping the clock on 38.88 to improve upon their finish behind Coyle and Thursday in definitive fashion, almost a second ahead of Omar Abdul Aziz Al Marzooqi (UAE) in second, riding Enjoy de la Mure.

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Coyle and Chaccolino ensured third with a foot-perfect round in 40.17.

At another five-star show in Dinard, another equestrian from the Premier County, Denis Lynch was third in the Prix Cordon Group to the outstanding pair of Henrik Von Eckermann and Glamour Girl. With his progressive ten-year-old stallion King Blue, Lynch made the podium in the 1.45m speed event with a clear round in 65.16 seconds, , just over eight-tenths of a second off the standard-setters.

A notable result for Derry's Daniel Coyle was the fourth place finish of Daydream, stepping up to elite company for the first time this week and doing so effortlessly, going clear in 62.72 in a 1.50m speed class behind Germany’s winner Richard Vogel, with Cubi Cubells, with French duo, Julien Epaillard and Rogers Yves Bost just ahead.