Irish rider tops fifield in Grand Prix
21-year-old Coyle, 11-year-old mare Cita beat 51 other riders.
WELLINGTON — Daniel Coyle, one of Ireland’s top riders based in Canada, captured the $75,000 Rosenbaum Mollengarden PLLC Grand Prix Sunday at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center to close out Week One of the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Coyle, 21, and his 11-year-old mare Cita topped a 52-rider f i e l d , i n c l u d i n g 1 5 i n t h e jump-offff, with a clear round of 37.051 seconds, edging fellow countryman Conor Swail and Flower (37.167) and Catherine Tyree and Bokai (37.495) in the International Arena.
Margie Engle of West Palm Beach and Indigo were fourth with a clear round in 39.661.
Eight riders fifinished with clear rounds in the jump-offff.
“This is my fifirst show with that horse,” Coyle said. “Conor actually used to ride her. Last week was my fifirst week riding her. Conor did do very well with her, so we kind of knew she was a good horse.
It takes me a while to get used to them, and when I do, I feel very comfortable. I really like her. It was a great jumpoffff for me to win.”
Despite the narrow loss, Swail was happy for Coyle.
“It’s great to see him going well,” Swail said. “That was one of my favorite mares so it’s great to see her going well. I am very pleased though I would prefer he was behind me, to be honest.”
The 12-week WEF circuit, which is awarding more than $9 million in prize money, runs through April 2, Wednesdays through Sundays. In other events: ■ The women’s team won t h e $ 7 5 , 0 0 0 We l l i n g t o n Regional Medical Center Battle of the Sexes, the fifirst “Saturday Night Lights” event. The women have now won eight of the last nine years. The women’s team, led by team captain Nicole Bellissimo, won 31-21. One point separated (13-12) the 10- rider teams going into the final round of matches races when the women won 18-9. Bellissimo was joined by Heather Caristo- Williams, Amanda Derbyshire, Abigail McArdle, Jessica Mendoza, Schuyler Riley, Haylie Rolfe, Mavis Spencer, Alexandra Welles and Julie Welles.
■ Todd Minikus of Loxahatchee and Valinski S won the $35,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 1. The 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding that competed in the 2016 Olympics with Australian Matt Williams won the 10- rider jump-offff in 37.99 seconds.
■ Germany’s Wilhelm Genn and Bugat t i won t he f i r s t $25,000 Suncast 1.50-meter Championship Jumper Classic in 37.66 seconds.
■ Ireland’s Kevin Babington and Super Chilled, an Irish Sport Horse gelding, won the $8,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45meter speed class with a clear round in 59.970 seconds.