Ireland’s Jordan Coyle wins $213,300 Upperville Jumper Classic – Bertram Allen best of Irish in La Baule Grand Prix

Ireland’s Jordan Coyle scored a major victory across the Atlantic on Sunday evening at Upperville Horse Show in Virginia USA, when he took the top prize in the four-star $213,300 Upperville Jumper Classic.

Jordan Coyle and Ariso

Derry-born Coyle was riding the Elan Farm-owned Ariso and came out on top following a three-horse jump-off with the fastest double-clear effort in front of a packed crowd. Upperville’s own Alison Robitaille placed second with Lima 47, while Samuel Parot of Chile and Dubai rounded out the top three.

Coyle had over a second to spare on his closest rival at the finish after he crossed the line in 39.78 seconds while Robitaille posted a time of 41.17. Coyle admitted that his partnership with Ariso has been a work in progress, commenting that despite Ariso’s incredible jump he often had no steering or control when he first began riding him.

“When I got him the jump was always unbelievable, but after five jumps you have no steering and no control. Sometimes he would jump the jumps and just get lucky. I feel like today was a technical course, the Million was a technical course and I can ride him a little bit more, so I am going to keep doing what I am doing. But really I don’t know what I am doing, I do not even ride him at home. I just lunge him, but I don’t know, something is working I guess. When I got the horse I spoke to Dermont Lennon who is a world champion and when I got some advice from it was to ‘don’t ever try to ride him because he is not built to ride. Just let him be normal and try to work with him.’ I didn’t take his advice fully at the start and I tried to fix him, but there is no fixing him. I just leave him alone and every day he is getting easier. Who knows, he may run away with me next time.”

Meanwhile back in Europe, Wexford’s Bertram Allen finished best of the Irish in the five-star Longines La Baule Grand Prix in France. Riding Harley VD Bisschop, Allen was one of just six combinations to make it into the jump-off and despite picking up four faults in the second round they still managed to finish fourth to collect €20,000. Victory went to French rider Nicolas Delmotte with Urvoso Du Roch.

In the three-star Grand Prix at Uggerhalne in Denmark, Galway’s Stephen Moore recorded a third place finish with the 12-year-old gelding Albert K behind Swedish winner Jens Fredricson with Markan Cosmopolit.