Derry's Daniel Coyle and the 12-year-old gelding Incredible claimed victory in Saturday's $1Million Atco Queen Elizabeth Cup at Spruce Meadows in Canada.
Irish riders have been in impressive form over the past few weeks at the Canadian venue, dominating the winners circle, with Paris 2024 Olympian Coyle's massive Atco Cup win - the final Grand Prix of the Spruce Meadows summer season, crowning the Irish domination.
After two demanding rounds of jumping, four combinations went forward to the third round jump-off where Coyle posted what proved the winning clear in 35.21 seconds. America's Kyle King finished eight hundredths of a second behind Coyle to take runner-up spot aboard Kayenne Z (35.29), while Coyle's older brother Jordan finished third with Chaccolino in 35.86.
A delighted Coyle explained how narrowly missing out on victory last weekend gave him an extra incentive and on how his horses improve at every level during the Spruce Meadows Summer Tournament.
"I wasn't sure how today would go to be honest. He was second last week which probably gave me a wee bit more of a spur on to try and get it over the line.
"I like to come here for the summer because every horse gets a little better, even the horses at the top of the game. But not only that, we also have some six, some seven year-olds here, and, they are the future, so we have to bring them along as well."
In the earlier Akita Drilling Cup 1m50, Jordan Coyle came out on top with For Gold, adding to a string of wins for the Derry rider in recent weeks, while there was also an Irish win in the Moore Equine Cup for Offaly's Darragh Kenny aboard Colibelle Hero Z.
At the five-star show in Aachen, there were major podium finishes for Denis Lynch and Shane Sweetnam, with the Tipperary rider guiding King Blue to second in the Prize of Handwerk.
The pair jumped clear in a time of 60.99 seconds to finish runner-up behind Germany's Richard Vogel and Phenyo van het Keysersbos, with Pedro Veniss and CS Hortencia third in the speed class.
Sweetnam, whose 16-year-old daughter Olivia would win her first three-star class at Traverse City in America just a matter of hours later, also climbed to the middle step of the podium in a speed class in the Aachen’s Main Stadium on Friday.
The class was won by Nina Mallevaey on My Clementine.
Simon McCarthy registered a pair of three-star victories at the same Great Lakes Equestrian Festival where Olivia Sweetnam enjoyed her landmark triumph.
It was the teenage Sweetnam who McCarthy had to keep at bay when winning the Traverse City National Grand Prix on Saturday.
Riding Gotcha, the 29-year-old prevailed from an octet of initial clear rounds, stopping the clock on 39.01, just over four-tenths quicker than Sweetnam and Capitola.
Earlier in the week, McCarthy and his mare Narcotique v/h Dingenshof were first into the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring for a speed class but their clear in 60.60 seconds was too hot for everyone, the closest being Thomascourt Ballypatrick (ISH), ridden by Charlotte Jacobs (USA)
Philip McGuane and Orphea HQ were victorious too at three-star grade, guaranteeing connections the lion’s share of the prize money in the $100,000 Richard M Feldman Memorial Grand Prix at Lake Placid on Sunday.
David Simpson and Jessica Burke left the four-star show at Bolesworth with two podium finishes each. A Derry compatriot of the Coyles, Simpson was third in a 1.50m jump-off with Billy Fern and then improved that by one position in the Grand Prix.
There had to be mixed feelings about that as Simpson and Pjotr van de Kruishoeve were just eight-hundredths of a second off the tie-break time set by Laura Renwick and Marseille.
Simpson and Pjotr van de Kruishoeve were part of a 10-strong jump-off that included Sean Monaghan, with Toyger, and Burke and Good Star du Bary.
All three jumped clear second time around in the International Arena, with Monaghan finishing sixth and Burke making it an Irish-centric podium, just failing to break the 38-second barrier to secure third.
Simpson and PVDK stopped the clock at 37.18, but that was marginally shy of Renwick.
On Sunday, it was Burke’s turn to move up one berth to the silver medal in the final four-star class of the week, combining with Romelus de Muze for second behind UAE’s Abdullah Mohd Al Marri with James VD Oude Heihoef. Monaghan made it up to third on board Tiberio Della Caccia.
Richie Moloney earned a bronze medal in the $120,000 three-star Grand Prix at Tryon International, won by Kristen Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Jireh. Moloney and Coco Beach were among the only three clear rounds and the Kilkenny pilot opted to navigate a steady clear..
Moloney also made it into the top five as the second fastest four-faulter, with Skelwith Diamond Lady.
