Double success for Derry's Jordan Coyle with 'For Gold' and 'Action T' at Spruce Meadows

Spruce Meadows must feel like a second home to Jordan Coyle given the level of success the Ardmore native has enjoyed at the famed Canadian venue this year and he added to his impressive tally with another couple of five-star victories in Alberta in the past few days.

Coyle joined forces with his old pal, For Gold to get the show on the road at the Masters on Wednesday night, racking up an eighth five-star triumph of the year together and a seventh at Spruce Meadows, when blitzing to victory over 74 other rivals in the TELUS Cup, a 1.50m speed.

They were also victorious at Hickstead and are a partnership that have helped the elder Coyle sibling rise to No 34 in the world rankings, one of seven Irish athletes in the top 35 - an astounding representation.

Falkirk Farm’s 14-year-old gelding had more than half the field of 75 still to come when he had navigated the 13 jumping efforts in the International Ring in a time of 57.16 but the closest to them was Sanne Thijssen (NED) who stopped the clock on 57.47 with Cupcake Z.

Kara Chad gave the home support something to shout about in third, with Corinna Z clear in 58.66.

“He only jumped two shows since he left,” Coyle said of For Gold. “But the plan was to bring him back here… I didn’t go fast on him. That’s not him going fast at all. So it was surprising that (the time) held up, to be honest.

“He hasn’t done a jump, a pole on the ground, since Dublin, which was a little over two weeks ago. Today he felt amazing. I think he was happy to be back here.

“Look, pressure is every day. It’s probably one of my better assets, maybe, is I don’t think too much about the pressure. It doesn’t really come into it. Every day I want to win, every day I want to do the best for the horse. It’s just the same. It’s another day. Luckily, this week there’s a little more money than normal.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by World of Showjumping (@worldofshowjumping)

The Derry pilot maintains that his horses know there is something special about Spruce Meadows.

“America, we don’t usually get presentations at all. The first time (For Gold) won the class here this summer, when he went in for the presentation, he really lit up. Every day, it was like he wanted to win. He got into it. I really think it’s the atmosphere. He’s a little bit older, he needs something to look forward to.

“When I got him (two years ago), he was good from the start. He was good before I got him. These classes, he can do them so easily. In the summer, he jumped four days a week, every week. When he went home, the vets said he’s better now than when he went to the show. Today, he felt amazing. I think he was happy to be back here.”

IN PICTURES: Record field partake in Derry's Waterside Half Marathon

Coyle backed it up with success in the Paramount Resources Cup on Friday night, this time securing the honours in a jump-off on Falkirk Farm’s Action T. 

The duo were joined by Bertram Allen and Huricane de Champloue in the tiebreaker for the 1.45m class but the Wexford athlete’s eight-year-old had a rail down and they had to settle for fifth. Allen would go on to finish sixth in the subsequent 1.60m Tourmaline Oil Cup with Pacino Amiro.

Coyle and Action T were brilliant however, leaving all the fences intact and just edging out Britain’s Charlie Jones and Capitale 6 with a time of 37.91, compared to the runners-up’s 38.22.