Exclusive interview with Irish Olympic show jumper from Derry

Ireland will have a Derry representative in the show jumping at the Paris Olympics in the first week of August. 

Daniel Coyle will compete for his nation in show jumping, with the Irish equestrian team named on Monday. 

The Ardmore man is competing in the Nations Cup in Sweden this weekend, but everything now is only preparing him for the 33rd modern Olympic Games. 

He said: “Nervous, excited, can’t wait, all these things. I mean, if you aren’t all those things, you shouldn’t really be going, should you?

“I look forward to it more than anything, but it is just another show, which is true, but it is a pretty big one.

“We have an extremely good chance; it is hard to say that as you don’t want to tempt fate, but it is better to go like this, saying we have a chance and we have a really good chance, but I suppose it also depends on the course and how it unfolds on the day.”

Coyle has been around the circuit for a while, having competed at a number of smaller national circuits, tasting much success across these competitions. 

But the Derry man knows this is the biggest stage for any show jumper.

He said: “There is nothing else in our sport like the Olympics.

“The Olympics, everybody is watching and hoping that you do well. 

“I watched a lot of Olympic games and a lot of championships, and I always thought that as a kid it looked simple and straightforward, with it all being very possible, but once you get up to that level to do it at that level, you see how tough it actually is.”

The Olympics are the pinnacle for every athlete, and it is no different for Coyle. 

But he admits that being successful in show jumping was non-negotiable. 

He said: “I myself am very dyslexic, so reading and writing in an office job was not an option. It was either a building site or the horses.

“I got to this stage where things were not going great, and I had to make a plan and see where else in the world it was possible, and it was Europe or America, and I was very lucky to fall into the position I find myself in now.”

A lot of people have a support network, and Coyle is no different. 

The Ardmore man said he is thankful for the support he has received from Derry throughout his career and is hoping to win a medal as a sign of thanks. 

But his biggest supporters will be cheering him on in Paris. 

He said: “I’ve got three girls. 

“It is nice to see that they are now understanding that I have to go away to work and being able to talk to them on FaceTime.

“I’m sure they just see me as their father, and I hope that is the way it stays on some level. When they are older, I hope they are very proud of me, but for them now, I’m just jumping a horse on the TV.”

While Coyle travels the world competing in show jumping events, he is hoping to encourage the next line of show jumpers in Derry.

He has plans in place to build a venue in Ardmore to host events, with the future Olympian owning land out by the area’s cricket club.

He said: “If anyone needs anything from the show jumping side of things, don’t be afraid to ask, and I’m there a lot as I’ve got three children growing up. I try to get back every couple of weeks, and if there is anything I can give back, I’ll do my best.”