The first day of the 2019 Spruce Meadows National presented by Rolex brought warm weather and sunshine to the grounds. Competitors were out in full force for the afternoon’s Friends of the Meadows 1.50m competition with 74 competitors on the start list.
Peter Grant (FEI Course Designer) inadvertently left an option going into the final line and Ireland’s Jordan Coyle, who was thirteenth into the International Ring took it. Jumping a piece of an on course island to take an inside track, Coyle shaved seconds off his time making it impossible to catch him. Many riders tried to catch Coyle’s time of 64.60s, but those who surpassed or came close found themselves with a rail or two on course. Australia’s Rowan Willis came in second with clear round and a time of 69.79s followed by Spruce Meadows rider Nikolaj Hein Ruus (DEN) who picked up both third and fourth.
“Definitely it was the plan to go over the flowers, maybe it wasn’t the plan to be as fast. I thought there would be a lot more people faster,” said Coyle on his plan going into the competition.
Click here for more Spruce Meadows National Tournament information.
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