At the Washington International Horse Show, Daniel Coyle claimed victory in the 1.55m CSI5* opening class. In a jump-off featuring eleven horse-and-rider combinations, where only five managed to keep all the rails up for a second time, the Irish rider shaved crucial seconds off the clock aboard the KWPN gelding Farrel to beat the competition.
Coyle piloted the 16-year-old Farrel (by Cardento x Stakkato), bred by VDL Stud, to victory in a blistering time of 35.23 seconds. This put him over a full second ahead of Mark Bluman. Bluman clocked 36.30 seconds with the 13-year-old BWP gelding Landon de Nyze (by Comilfo Plus Z x Quadrillo). Landon de Nyze was bred by Belgian breeder Danny Nijs.
German rider Rene Dittmer rounded out the top three. Riding the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding Cody 139 (by Casall x Quidam de Revel), bred by Soeren Von Roenne, he crossed the timers in 37.55 seconds.
Representing both Dutch breeding and British riding talents, Jessica Mendoza delivered a strong performance. She guided the 13-year-old KWPN mare In the Air (by Air Jordan x Indoctro), bred by C. Den Boer, to another clear round in the jump-off, securing fourth place with a time of 37.58 seconds. The top five was completed by Aaron Vale and the nine-year-old Selle Français gelding Helios du Moulin (by Untouchable x Quidam de Revel) in 39.58 seconds.
