FRIDAY – Ireland’s Winning Streak Continues
The ATCO Cup 1.50m closed out competition on the International Ring on Friday afternoon of the ‘North American’ tournament at Spruce Meadows. The track, designed by FEI course designer Santiago Varela (ESP), allowed just five clears to advance to the jump-off, including a single Canadian, Sarah Lottis and her 12-year-old KWPN gelding Itoulon S.
The Irish have been fighting amongst themselves at the top of the leaderboard, and today it was Darragh Kenny aboard Lightning who produced the fastest clear round in the jump-off with a time of 36.95 seconds. Conor Swail (IRL) finished in second place riding Qoreen Van’t Ruytershof, and Lottis rounded out the top three placings with a speedy round but a rail down.
This year, the Irish National Anthem has been heard an astounding 16 times on the International Ring, and with such a strong field of riders there was a good chance their colours would fly again.
ATCO Cup 1.50m
1. Darragh Kenny (IRL) & Lightning
2. Conor Swail (IRL) & Qoreen Van’t Ruytershof
3. Sarah Lottis (CAN) & Itoulon S
4. Charlie Jacobs (USA) & Camila 111
5. Daniel Coyle (IRL) & Legacy
One-Two Finish for Ireland’s Daniel Coyle
On Friday Morning, the McNerney Family Cup 1.45m took place – the only qualifier for this week’s CSI2* Grand Prix where only the top 30 athletes qualify. Forty-seven horse/rider combinations took to the International Ring and eleven jumped clear to advance to the jump off.
The Irish have been on a roll all summer long and Daniel Coyle (IRL) was determined to continue that streak. Coyle posted fast clear rounds with both his horses, Daydream and Calippo 57, taking first and second place, respectively. Canada’s Kara Chad and the Whitakers’ Chicago placed third with a speedy clear effort. Fellow Canuck Samantha Buirs was also double-clear with the grey mare Maria 111 to grab fifth place.
McNerney Family Cup
1. Daniel Coyle (IRL) & Daydream
2. Daniel Coyle (IRL) & Calippo 57
3. Kara Chad (CAN) & Chicago
4. Reagan Tomb (USA) & Nijinsky 10
5. Samantha Buirs (CAN) & Maria 111
Samantha Buirs (CAN) gives well-deserved pats to her horse Maria following a successful round. ( Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley)
SATURDAY – Daniel Coyle (IRL) Wins ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup
The final grand prix of the Spruce Meadows Summer Tournaments, the $1,000,000 ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup, promised the large Saturday afternoon crowds an exciting display of top show jumping. Twenty-seven horse/rider combinations challenged Varela’s first-round track, with the top 12 riders coming back for the second round in hopes that a combined score would leave them at the top or force a jump-off.
Among those returning for the second round were some of the week’s previous winners: Kyle King (USA), and brothers Daniel Coyle and Jordan Coyle (IRL). The sole Canadian in this group was Tiffany Foster and Electrique, who had a clear first round and a single rail in the second, finishing 6th overall.
The Coyles and King were joined by Abdulrahman Alrajhi (KSA), who also finished on zero faults over the two rounds, in a four-horse jump-off.
Daniel Coyle was spoiling for a big win and he made today the day. Jordan Coyle held the lead briefly with a clear jump-off time of 35.86 seconds but younger brother Daniel, piloting Ariel Grange’s incredible Incredible, crossed the finish line clear in a time of 35.21 seconds. King, who won the Friday evening competition, came close to topping Daniel’s time, but finished second on 35.29 seconds. A rail in the jump-off kept Alrajhi off the podium.
“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- and seven-year-olds here, and they are the future, so we have to bring them along as well,” remarked Daniel Coyle on how his horses improve at every level during the Spruce Meadows Summer Tournament.
ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup
1. Daniel Coyle (IRL) & Incredible
2. Kyle King (USA) & Kayenne Z
3. Jordan Coyle (IRL) & Chaccolino
4. Abdulrahman Alrajhi (KSA) & Ventago
5. Sameh el Dahan (GBR) & Oscar-A
Ireland’s Jordan Coyle wins the AKITA Drilling Cup
The AKITA Drilling Cup kicked off sport on the International Ring on Saturday. The winning round format competition had 33 horse/rider combinations challenge the first track and the 10 top results from that round qualified for the winning round.
Half of the riders returning for the winning round carried the Irish flag, a dominant force this 2025 Summer Tournament season. It marked another victory for Jordan Coyle (IRL) riding For Gold; the pair delivered the fastest clear ride in a time of 51.79 seconds. Top Canadian was Kara Chad with Igor GPH, who have been having an excellent summer at Spruce Meadows and placed 6th in this event.
AKITA Drilling Cup
1. Jordan Coyle (IRL) & For Gold
2. Charlie Jones (GBR) & Capitale 6
3. Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX) & Chalouries PS
4. Amelie Gachoud (GBR) & Lancaster
5. Daniel Coyle (IRL) & Farrel
SUNDAY – Mckayla Langmeier (USA) Wins Sun Life Derby
Mckayla Langmeier (USA) threw a wrench in the works of the Irish contingent’s plan for total domination at the ‘North American’ with a victory aboard Pepita VD Rollebeek in the final competition, the Sun Life Derby. The fan favourite class featured over one kilometre of track and 18 obstacles that included a steep bank, double liverpools, dry ditch, and of course – the notorious Devil’s Dyke.
In a true test of skill and stamina for both horse and rider, Langmeier, 25, not only completed the first round of competition with no faults, but pulled off the only double clear of the competition in a jump-off against Nikolaj Hein Ruus of Denmark and Cape Town. Pepita VD Rollebeek didn’t touch a single rail and crossed the finish line in a time of 44.59 seconds.
The original Spruce Meadows Derby track was designed by FEI course designer Pamela Carruthers (GBR), and while the sport has changed over the years, Sunday’s track, modified by Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) and Santiago Varela (ESP), still pays homage to that original test.
“Spruce Meadows has done a fantastic job of maintaining the roots of the sport, and the riders are starting to understand that the derby makes the horses better,” said Leopoldo Palacios about continuing the tradition of the derby at the venue, and on seeing an increased number of entries in the last couple of years.
Sun Life Derby
1. Mckayla Langmeier (USA) & Pepita VD Rollebeek
2. Nikolaj Hein Ruus (DEN) & Cape Town
3. Virginia Bonnie (USA) & Efodea
4. Kyle King (USA) & Odysseus
5. Jordan Coyle (IRL) & King Kannan GP
Jordan Coyle (IRL) Wins the Kubota Cup
Jordan Coyle (IRL) aboard For Gold took yet another victory in the final speed competition of the Spruce Meadows summer tournaments, the Kubota Cup, flying through the finish line in 75.59 seconds. They edged countryman James Chawke and Daido Van’t Ruytershof Z by nearly four seconds. Kara Chad was once again top Canadian, placing 5th aboard Corinna Z.
Coyle and For Gold have won an astounding six FEI competitions this season at Spruce Meadows and scooped three of the four speed competitions (placing second in the Canadian Utilities Cup during the ‘Continental’).
Kubota Cup
1. Jordan Coyle (IRL) & For Gold
2. James Chawke (IRL) & Daido Van’t Ruytershof Z
3. Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX) & Victer Finn DH Z
4. Sameh El Dahan (GBR) & WKD Aimez Moi
5. Kara Chad (CAN) & Corinna Z
Full results here.
~ with files from Spruce Meadows Media