Ireland’s Coyle and Sweden’s Von Eckermann win far-flung World Cup qualifiers

Cita belongs to the Grange family of Canada, who run Lothlorien farms in Caledon, Ontario and Florida – one of the top private jumper operations in that country, with a large string of homebread and purchased horses. “It’s a bit unreal for me, really,” Coyle told Farmers Journal in 2017 about his trans-atlantic move. “I kind of got lucky in so many ways and now I have ended up with a dream job. In Ireland I thought I was flying it, but then suddenly it all changed and I knew it was time to go.”

Now ranked 46th in the world, Coyle and his 12-year-old mare were facing stiff competition in Sunday’s showdown in the Sunshine State, including from American runners-up Laura Kraut and Confu, Margie Goldstein-Engle and Royce in third, Israel’s Danielle Goldstein and Lizziemary in fourth and defending World Cup champion McLain Ward and HH Callas in fifth. Falling just short of the tie-breaking jump-off, Quentin Judge and HH Conrad finished sixth while Coyle’s compatriot Denis Lynch on RMF Echo was seventh.

“It took me a long time to work out what way [Cita] likes to go best and what way she jumps these bigger fences easiest,” Coyle said after the pair’s win. “When she’s on my side, if it’s possible, she will do her best to leave all the jumps up. That’s what I love most about her.” He added: “It’s an amazing feeling to beat any one of these two women, and everybody in that jump-off!” 

For his part, with his 12 points in Wellington, McLain Ward – who was in any case already automatically qualified for this year’s Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Paris, from April 11-15, after winning last year in Omaha, Nebraska – is now tied for first in the North American East Coast qualifying league.

Another top Show Jumping rider near the top of the standings, but this time in the Western European qualifying league, is Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann, who has 64 points, in second place behind France’s Kevin Staut. As he is also already qualified for this year’s Final in the French capital, Von Eckermann did not join most of his counterparts at this past weekend’s qualifier in Bordeaux but rather headed to the Middle East for the FEI World Cup Jumping – Arab League – H.H.Ruler of Sharjah Cup.

And the World No.6’s trip paid off, as he and his 11-year-old stallion Chacanno took first place in the Arab League qualifier. While Von Eckermann did not earn any points for his victory in this different qualifying league, he did collect the paycheque of €47,850.