Ireland’s Daniel Coyle and the brilliant 14-year-old mare Legacy have today (Sunday) taken another five-star Longines FEI Jumping World Cup win – this time at Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
Last weekend, Derry native Coyle and Legacy came out on top in the 11th round of the series in Leipzig (GER). Their victory today in Amsterdam came after a seven horse jump-off where they stopped the clock in 35.45 seconds when second-last to go, overtaking home favourite Willem Greve with Highway TN N.O.P. (38.33). Tipperary’s Denis Lynch and Vistogrand also made it into the second round and finished in seventh place with two fences down when chasing Coyle’s target as last to go.
Coyle becomes the second Irish rider to win two World Cup Grand Prix in-a-row this season after Sligo’s Richard Howley achieved the same feat last October and speaking afterwards, a delighted Coyle said.
“Legacy is just getting better and better. Everybody can ride good rounds and jump-off rounds but not every horse can jump like that. She has been a horse of a career for me already and today she has proven it even more.”
Twenty-nine-year-old Coyle has made a name for himself as a phenomenal rider against the clock and he gave an insight into what makes him so competitive.
“I think it goes back to doing ponies at home against my brother and everybody else, even the likes of Richard Howley. We grew up racing against each other in ponies and I was always chasing them and they were always well ahead of me but it’s good to see now I can have some revenge.”
“We have a huge year this year – the World Cup finals and the Olympics and for sure we will be looking at both of them. Legacy is in the prime of her life, she has got better as she has got older and maybe so have I,” Coyle concluded.
Irish Horse Board Director General Alison Corbally added:
“Many congratulations to Daniel Coyle and winning owner Ariel Grange on a superb World Cup win for the second week in-a-row. Irish riders have started 2024 just as they finished 2023, with a host of top performances at five star level and we wish them continued success for the rest of the year.”
Just two more rounds remain in the FEI World Cup Western European League, in Bordeaux (FRA) and Gothenburg (SWE) before the 2023/2024 FEI World Cup Finals will take place in Riyadh (KSA) this April boasting a prize fund of €1.3million.