Can Coyle add to his Legacy in Barcelona?

The Irish athlete has enjoyed a superb 2024…

Daniel Coyle is one of Jumping’s biggest stars and could add to his growing list of achievements by helping Ireland to glory in this weekend’s Longines League of Nations™ Final in Barcelona.

Coyle doesn’t turn 30 until later this year, but already has a string of achievements behind him. 2024 has been a milestone year with an incredible three major wins in a row as he swooped to glory in consecutive Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ legs in Leipzig, Amsterdam and Ocala with his top horses Legacy and Incredible. Talk about consistency!

Coyle made his Olympic debut at Paris 2024, helping Ireland’s team to sixth place overall. He made an impressive start in the Individual competition too, although a medal proved just too much. In 2022, riding Oak Grove’s Carlyle, Coyle became the first Irish athlete to win the five-star Grand Prix of Rotterdam in 58 years.

In Barcelona, Ireland's Chef d’Equipe Michael Blake has selected Coyle, Denis Lynch, Cian O’Connor, Michael Pender and Mark McAuley for Sunday's grand final, which is live and free for all on FEI TV.

Here’s Coyle and Legacy helping Ireland to Longines League of Nations™ success in Ocala earlier this year…

Success in North America

Having relocated to North America a few years back, Coyle has become one of the circuit’s biggest stars. However, his successes are a far cry from his formative years on ponies back in Northern Ireland.

“My father Fergal had ponies, so my brother Jordan and cousin Christian all grew up on ponies,” he recalled. “It was part of the family. I was never very good at ponies, so I moved to horses very early and jumped in my first grand prix when I was 12 on a horse named Laramel.”

Coyle initially made his name with Uptown Girl, but when that horse was retired in 2016, he found himself at a crossroads. A move to Canada ignited his career to far greater heights, and he has flourished after working with both Conor Swail and Jeroen Dubbeldam.

Teaming up with Legacy

Perhaps most influential has been his combination with star horse Legacy. This Zangersheide bay mare has taken him to the Olympics, World Championship, European Championship and Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in just the last three years, as well as a series of five-star wins.

Speaking about Legacy after their win in Amsterdam earlier this year, Coyle said of the 14-year-old: “She’s in the prime of her life – she’s got better, she’s got older, and maybe so have I, so I’m delighted.”

For Coyle, the whole experience with Legacy, called “Dolly” by her owner Ariel Grange of Lothlorien Farms in Toronto, Canada, is tinged with an extra level of sensitivity. Because when he left Ireland to ride for fellow Irishman Swail and for Ariel’s mother, the late Susan Grange, in early 2016 he could never have known how his career would play out.

“Before Sue died (in October 2017) Ariel only had a few younger horses and wasn’t so involved, so I didn’t know if she was going to step up and do what she has done,” Coyle explained. Legacy is named in Susan’s memory, and while the Irishman’s partnership with Ariel has gone from strength to strength, his relationship with the mare has also grown into something unique during their seven years together – although it hasn’t always been plain sailing.

“For years there we weren’t really on the same page. She’d jump one fence very high and the next fence I’d ask her to jump, like a plank or something delicate, she’d knock it down and I’d be very confused as to why. But I feel now we are very much on the same page, we have a real understanding,” he said.

League success

Coyle and Legacy helped Ireland to success in the Ocala leg of the Longines League of Nations™ earlier this year. Their two clear rounds were enough to help the Irish to glory in Florida and ultimately finish top of the qualifiers for the Barcelona final.

We’ll find out this weekend if Coyle can again produce his best for the biggest occasions and help Ireland to become the first-ever Longines League of Nations™ series winners.

Live coverage

FEI TV will be showcasing its fantastic equestrian coverage by broadcasting the first-ever Longines League of Nations™ Final for free.

Everyone can tune into the action from Barcelona on Sunday as the finalists attempt to make history by winning the 2024 season finale. The stream will start at 13:20 local time (CEST) with the pre-programme, including coverage of the parade. The competition is scheduled to start at 14:00, with English language commentary from Phil Ghazala and former European Jumping champion Jessica Kürten.

As the final is being broadcast for free, no FEI TV membership or registration is required. The livestream will be free and available to anyone when streaming full screen on the web and mobile web version, however the FEI TV mobile app remains for premium users only.