22 January '24
Daniel Coyle and Legacy win the Leipzig World Cup!
© FEI - Leanjo de Koster
A few weeks after their strong performance at The London International Horse Show, last weekend turned into another top weekend for Irish rider Daniel Coyle and his 14-year-old top mare Legacy, the daughter of Chippendale Z and Bon Ami who was born as Chavantele Z to breeder Romain Rotty. The successful duo appeared at the Partner Pferd five-star competition in Leipzig over the past few days, where they produced another stellar performance yesterday with a win in the Longines FEI Jumping Word Cup. Coyle and Legacy were one of 13 yesterday afternoon who stayed clear in the basic round and thus managed to qualify for the jump-off. In it they came back into the ring as the 6th combination and again provided an unparalleled performance. With a fast pace and particularly short turns, they rushed to the finish line in 31.70 seconds and thus wrote this 11th World Cup round of the season on their record.
Daniel Coyle: "Legacy is like no other horse I've ever ridden. You ask her to do something and if possible she will always do it. Ariel (Grange) bought her when she was just eight and my trainer Jeroen (Dubbeldam) had her before, so he could tell me right away what she liked and didn't like and the best way to proceed with her . She took me to my first championships and I owe so much to her in every way. Legacy is not as easy as some people seem to think, but I feel very privileged to be her partner and there is an emotional connection between this horse, me and really the whole team around me."
However, Coyle and Legacy were not the only combination that managed to ensure blue/yellow success during this 11th World Cup race of the season. For example, 4th place was reserved for French rider Kevin Staut with the 11-year-old mare Beau de Laubry Z, a daughter of Bisquet Balou van de Mispelaere and Nabab de Rêve out of the Haelterman family breeding at Haras De Laubry. Staut and Beau de Laubry Z also kept it clear again in the jump-off and with a finishing time of 34.25 seconds they managed to take 4th place in the standings. Moreover, it was already the second top ranking of the weekend for the duo, as on Friday they were also good for a 5th place during the 1.55m class.
In 8th place we then saw the Swedish rider Peder Fredricson with the 10-year-old chestnut gelding Vroom de la Pomme Z, a son of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Untouchable from the breeding of Geert Baertsoen. As the penultimate combination to start, Fredricson and Vroom de la Pomme Z managed to set the fastest time on the scoreboard in 31.29 seconds, but due to a fault on the very last obstacle, they eventually missed out on victory. During the 1.55m class on Friday, Fredricson and Vroom de la Pomme Z also managed to jump into the spotlight with a 2nd place.
Furthermore, it was also a successful weekend for Swiss rider Martin Fuchs with the 10-year-old chestnut stallion Viper Z, a son of Vigo d'Arsouilles and Grannus bred in Germany by Guido Sperveslage. Fuchs and Viper Z jumped to a 3rd place during the 1.45m class on Friday and followed that up a day later with an 8th place in the 1.45m Speed & Handiness class. The Spanish rider Mariano Martinez Bastida and his 15-year-old gelding Belano Vd Wijnhoeve (Berlin x Darco - B: D. De Cuyper) then finished 4th in the 1.45m class on Friday.