Ottawa, Ontario – August 16, 2026 – Daniel Coyle (IRL) of Ireland won the $35,000 USD Canada Gold Grand Prix CSI 2* on Sunday, August 16, to close out the Ottawa International CSI 4* / CSI 2* show jumping tournament at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON.
The 21-horse starting field featured heavy hitters with long resumes as well as some newer faces at the international level. French course designer Grégory Bodo (FRA) found the right balance with his track producing six clear rounds for the jump-off.
Coyle had the advantage of going last in the jump-off. As the final entry in the opening round, Coyle stayed at the ingate to watch the first jump-off challenger, Canada’s Gavin Moylan (CAN), execute his plan with Lordy-P. By the time four others had jumped, Moylan still held the lead with a clear round in a time of 39.94 seconds. Only Coyle remained with Nord Face VDL and he knew exactly what he needed to do. While he looked to be behind Moylan’s pace at the beginning, Coyle turned on the speed half-way through the short course, leaving out strides to cross through the timers in 38.55 seconds and claim victory.
“I was last to go so that’s always a huge advantage,” said Coyle, who represented Ireland at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “I knew Gavin was winning and, having watched his round, I knew what I had to do to beat it. I knew half-way around the course that I wasn’t fast enough. My horse was jumping very high at the beginning of the course, but you don’t need to be that high over the jumps; it’s not fast to do it that way. I knew I had to catch up, and he’s got to learn to go fast!”
By turning on the afterburners, the pair were able to better Moylan’s time by over one full second. Moylan finished as runner-up riding Lordy-P, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion (Grandorado TN N.O.P. x Wellington), that he owns in partnership with Priscilla Denegre.
Four-time Olympic medalist for the United States, Elizabeth “Beezie” Madden (USA), was also double clear in a time of 41.30 seconds to take third riding Nairobi, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare (Casallco x Landadel) owned by Abigail Wexner. Canada’s Sean Jobin riding Qourtois and Blyth Marano of the United States aboard Theo Duc T&L Z were also double-clear to finish fourth and fifth respectively.
While Coyle has been a frequent winner at Wesley Clover Parks, his horse is new to the international show jumping scene. Purchased this winter in Ocala, FL, by owner Ariel Grange, Coyle and Nord Face VDL are quickly forming a successful partnership.
“From the moment we tried him, we thought, ‘this horse is special,’” said Coyle of the eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Insider VDL x Tinka’s Boy). “It was just a matter of whether we could contain it. He has so much blood, so much scope, and so much power. It seems strange to say but don’t need all that; you need to be clever and handy.
“He’s so talented but he’s a dinosaur,” continued Coyle. “I don’t know if I’ve ridden a bigger horse and I don’t know if I’ve ever ridden a more talented horse. Next year will be very telling.”
Grange, who operates Lothlorien in Cheltenham, ON, and Lothlorien South in Ocala, FL, was in attendance to see Coyle and her new horse take the victory.
“She’s happy!” confirmed Coyle. “This is a local show for us. It’s not on our doorstep but it’s quite close, and we like to support local shows. Ottawa is a traditional show and there’s not so many of those anymore. It’s nice for the horses and the spectators. I love jumping on grass better than any sand and I’m pretty sure the horses do, too.”
In addition to show jumping competition, the local Ottawa community came together to support the fifth annual Spurs & Sparkles Gala, presented by RBC Royal Bank, on Wednesday evening, August 12. This year’s Spurs & Sparkles event raised over $200,000 for the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation through an evening of one-of-a-kind sport and entertainment featuring local craft beverages and delectable food from the city’s best restaurants and vendors. For more information, visit www.spursandsparkles.com.
For more information on the RBC Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments, visit www.
Final Results – $35,000 Canada Gold Grand Prix CSI 2*
1) Daniel Coyle (IRL) & Nord Face VDL – 0 / 0 – 38.55
2) Gavin Moylan (CAN) & Lordy-P – 0 / 0 – 39.94
3) Beezie Madden (USA) & Nairobi – 0 / 0 – 41.30
Source: Press Release from Jump Media for Wesley Clover Parks – Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments – Ottawa International
Photos: © Ben Radavnyi Photography
Discover more from JUMPER NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: CSI 2*, English, Jumper News Ireland
