Daniel Coyle Wins the $65,000 CSI2* Grand Prix at WEC, Again

Ireland's Daniel Coyle and Urville Z, a 13-year-old Zangersheide mare, won the $65,000 FEI CSI2*Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Ocala on Sunday for the second week in a row. It was difficult to tell that it was their third week of showing together. Read about their win last week HERE.

Coyle was third of nine in the jump-off order of go, putting on the pressure.

"She's so special"

“I can’t say enough good things about her,” Coyle expressed. “She’s done two grands prix and won both of them. If I can ride her well, she’s going to catch the jumps, which is a really nice feeling. It’s special because she rarely has a fence down, and if there is one, it’s my fault,” he laughed. “Even in the warmup, she doesn’t miss a fence, and at home she hasn’t touched a rail. She’s so special.”

Urville Z will get a break next week while Coyle sets his sights on the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala, where he was third last year with Incredible.

Runner-up and third place

American Samantha Schaefer, aboard the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding James Bond HX, finished 0.86 seconds behind Coyle. She was 0.02 seconds ahead of third place. Schaefer and James Bond won the $32,000 CSI2* Speed class on Thursday.

Nicholas Dello Joio and Elvis De L'othain, a 9-year-old Zangersheide gelding, took third place in the 1.45-meter class, nearly one-quarter of a second ahead of fourth.

Zume Gallaher was 0.14 faster than Coyle in the jump-off, but pulled a rail for four faults.

Top Eight Results

1 Daniel Coyle (Ireland) - URVILLE Z - 0/35.52

2 Samantha Schaefer (USA) - JAMES BOND HX - 0/36.38

3 Nicholas Dello Joio (USA) - ELVIS DE L'OTHAIN - 0/36.58

4 Victoria Birdsall (USA) - MICKY-CARA - 0/0/36.82

5 Christian Kukuk (Germany) - AKARAD TIVOLI Z - 0/37.53

6 Chloe Reid (USA) - SOUPER LADYKILLER - 0/39.22

7 Zume Gallaher (USA) - CALACAS D AUBIGNY - 4/35.38

8 Jad Dana (Lebanon) - LEONIDAS - 4/35.71

Molly Ashe Cawley and Berdien won the CSI2* $32,000 Grand Prix Qualifier on Friday, the mare's first show back in a year after an injury. However, Ashe Cawley chose to retire in today's CSI2* Grand Prix after trouble in the triple combination in the first round.

Chile's Samuel Parot, who was runner-up with Gradje O to Ashe Cawley in the CSI2* Grand Prix Qualifier, decided to retire after incurring eight jumping faults in the first round of the CSI2* Grand Prix.

Photo credit: Andrew Ryback Photography