Daniel Coyle and Fortis Fortuna Top Friends of the Meadows U25 Cup

Daniel Coyle and Fortis Fortuna (Photo: © Spruce Meadows Media Services)

Calgary, AB, Canada – Thursday’s competition at Spruce Meadows kicked off in the morning with the Friends of the Meadows U25 Cup, held in the Meadows on the Green, and a win for Ireland’s Daniel Coyle aboard Susan and Ariel Grange’s Fortis Fortuna. Coyle and the 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Quidam de Revel x Carthago) topped a nine-horse jump-off out of 34 original starters. They completed the fastest of five double clear rounds in the winning time of 30.45 seconds.

Andres Azcarraga Rivera Torres (MEX) jumped to second place aboard Jaime Azcarraga’s Al Capone in 30.70 seconds, and also placed third riding Jaime Azcarraga’s Contendros II through the timers in 30.85 seconds. McKayla Langmeier (USA) stopped the clock in 31.55 seconds to finish fourth aboard Linda Langmeier’s Classic Care. Tina Yates (USA) and Highpoint Farm’s Bowmore VDL took fifth place honors with their time of 32.33.

Coyle (21) recently got the ride on Fortis Fortuna before the start of the Spruce Meadows Summer Series. “Conor Swail used to jump her very successfully, but he had a lot of horses, so he gave me that one and I am very happy for that,” Coyle explained. “I seem to be getting on very well with her.”

The up-and-coming Irish rider began jumping for Susan and Ariel Grange’s Lothlorien Farm at the beginning of this year and traveled to compete for them at Spruce Meadows for the first time this summer. Prior to Thursday’s win, he has also had nine other victories with various horses in the Summer Series.

“I have never shown here before and I am really glad I got to come because I really like it,” Coyle noted. “I have had a great time, and all of the horses have jumped really well, so I am very happy.”

In the jump-off for the U25 Cup, Coyle qualified two different horses for the tiebreaker. He jumped first with a mare named Tienna, but dropped two rails over the short course to finish eighth overall.

He detailed, “I probably tried to go too fast because I was first to go with her, so I had a couple down. Then a couple of horses jumped to give me time to get ready with my second one, so I just studied what I had to do. I think from the double over to the second to last fence I was very fast, and I left a stride out down to the last fence, so that is probably where I made most of my time.”

Coyle and Fortis Fortuna got their first win together in another U25 competition in Palgrave, Ontario, before traveling to Calgary. She is a new mount for Coyle, but he hopes to step up to compete in 1.50m competition with her this week, and looks forward to seeing where the mare will go from there.

The Spruce Meadows ‘Pan American’ Tournament CSI 5*, presented by Rolex, continues on Friday featuring the Duncan Ross Cup 1.50m, as well as the WestJet Cup 1.45m in the Meadows on the Green.

Championship show jumping continues on Canada Day and throughout the weekend at the Spruce Meadows ‘Pan American’ Tournament, presented by Rolex. Enjoy Canada Day at Spruce Meadows with the entire family starting at 8 a.m. with the family friendly “Heroes Behind the Heroes” 5 and 10 KM Family Fun Run. Other fun family activities on Canada Day include pony rides, face painters, great food, sport and entertainment. Championship show jumping throughout the weekend features Canada’s best against horses and riders from around the world highlighted by Saturday’s Pan American Cup, presented by Rolex.

For a complete tournament schedule and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.

Final Results: Friends of the Meadows U25 Cup
1 FORTIS FORTUNA Belgian Sport Horse / M / 11 / Quidam de Revel x Carthago DANIEL COYLE (IRL) Susan & Ariel Grange: 0/0/30.45
2 AL CAPONE Warmblood / S / 10 / Candillo x Argentinus ANDRES AZCARRAGA RIVERA TORRES (MEX) Jaime Azcarraga: 0/0/30.70
3 CONTENDROS II Hanoverian / S / 9 / Contendro I x Drosselklang II ANDRES AZCARRAGA RIVERA TORRES (MEX) Jaime Azcarraga: 0/0/30.85
4 CLASSIC CARE Holstein / M / 13 / Caretino x Unknown MCKAYLA LANGMEIER (USA) Linda Langmeier: 0/0/31.55
5 BOWMORE VDL Dutch Warmblood / G / 10 / Chin Chin x Cantus TINA YATES (USA) Highpoint Farm LLC: 0/0//32.33
6 SAMSON II Swedish Warmblood / G / 12 / Cardento x Bellini ZAZOU HOFFMAN (USA) Dogwood Hill: 0/4/30.41
7 VON CIM Holstein / M / 11 / Levisto x Carthago ALEXANDRA CROWN (USA) Alexandra Crown: 0/4/30.42
8 TIENNA Canadian Sport Horse / M / 8 / For Pleasure x Polydox DANIEL COYLE (IRL) Susan Grange: 0/8/32.96
9 CORNISHMAN Oldenburg / G / 10 / Cornet Obolensky x Argentinus BRETTON CHAD (CAN) Stone Ridge Farms LLC: 0/18/54.24
10 VIVA COLOMBIA Oldenburg / M / 11 / Couleur Rubin x Landor S JUAN JOSE ZENDEJAS (MEX) Alejandro Zendejas: 1/72.18
11 LUFTIKUS S Warmblood / G / 15 / Unknown x Unknown JENNIFER GATES (USA) JKG LLC: 1/72.24
12 Z ACODATE DDL Dutch Warmblood / M / 12 / Acord II x Aldatus HILARY MCNERNEY (USA) Hilary McNerney: 1/73.70