Daniel Coyle's good run of form at the five-star Spruce Meadows show in Canada continued on Saturday but, when winning the featured Canadian Utilities Cup on Susan Grange's Tienna, the Derry-born rider had to share the honours with Leslie Howard of the USA.
There were 55 starters in the 1.50m jump-off class with 11 combinations going clear within the time over a course designed by Venezuela's Leopoldo Palacios Jugo. Nine of these left all the poles intact against the clock with Coyle and Grange's nine-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare recording a time of 36.44 which was matched by Howard on Donna Special. The USA's Kent Farrington was third in 36.82 with Dublin.
Earlier in the day, Co Meath's Cian O'Connor landed a 1.55m jump-off class at Treffen in Austria on Ian O'Grady's Callisto. Three riders recorded double clears, O'Connor winning easily in 40.98 ahead of The Netherlands' Jeroen Dubbeldam on SFN Zenith (43.13) and Sweden's Peder Fredricson on H&M Christian K (48.28).
At home, Tholm Keane won Saturday's national 1.40m Grand Prix at Duffy's Equestrian Centre in Claregalway on James Buckley and Caroline Teltsh's eight-year-old Luidam stallion BMH Big Time. Thirty-one horses have been declared for Sunday's New Heights Champions Series Grand Prix.
