Press release from Spruce Meadows, edited by World of Showjumping

The final Grand Prix of the Spruce Meadows Summer Tournaments, the CSI5* 1.60m $1,000,000 ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup, promised crowds an exciting afternoon of top showjumping. Twenty-seven horse-and-rider combinations challenged the first round 615m track designed by FEI course designer Santiago Varela (ESP). The top twelve placed riders from the first round then challenged a second track in hopes a combined score would leave them at the top or force a jump-off.

Amongst the top twelve returning for the second round were some of the week’s previous winners, Kyle King (USA), Daniel Coyle (IRL) and Jordan Coyle (IRL) – who won the AKITA Drilling Cup earlier in the day. They were joined by Abdulrahman Alrajhi (KSA) who also finished on a score of zero over the two rounds, to create a four horse jump-off. 

Daniel Coyle was ready for a big win and he made today the day. After two rounds of jumping, a jump-off was required to determine the winner. Jordan Coyle and Chaccolino (Chacco-Blue x Heartbreaker) held the lead briefly with a clear jump-off time of 35.86s, but younger brother Daniel piloting the incredible Incredible (Clinton Z x Heartbreaker) then crossed the finish line clear in a time of 35.21s. Kyle King (USA) – who won the Friday evening competition – came close to topping Daniel’s time but finished second with a clear round time of 35.29s, riding Kayenne Z (Kannan x Canezaro). A rail in the jump-off kept Alrajhi off the podium, who fisnihed fourth with Ventago (Van Helsing x Hunter's Scendix).

“I like to come here for the summer because every horse gets a little better, even the horses at the top of the game. But not only that, we also have some six, some seven year-olds here, and, they are the future, so we have to bring them along as well,” Daniel Coyle told about how his horses improve at every level during the Spruce Meadows Summer Tournament.