Daniel Coyle desperate to create his own showjumping legacy

Daniel Coyle's showjumping journey began with a horse named Uptown Girl.

It's over a decade since they started making waves and racking up victories. Coyle's stock rose with that of his companion, and now the Derryman is dreaming of glory at the Paris Games to cap what's been a remarkable success story.

Coyle looks certain to be included in Ireland's showjumping team at this summer's Olympic.

In August 2022, Coyle, Denis Lynch, Bertram Allen and Cian O’Connor finished fourth at the World Championships in Denmark to secure the country's berth at the Games.

Coyle has since nurtured a very fruitful partnership with the 14-year-old mare Legacy, and they will be fancied to get among the medals at the Palace of Versailles.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport's Darren Frehill, Coyle was loathe to look too far ahead, while reflecting on his road to the top of the sport.

"It all started with Uptown Girl," he said. "She really started me learning how to win I guess. Now she's breeding here at home which is quite special for everybody.

"Showjumping is unlike a lot of other sports. There's two minds there which is pretty hard to control. If you can make that happen it feels good for you as well as the horse and leaves a really good feeling for everybody involved also."

Coyle reached a crossroads a few years ago that took him to the USA. There, he struck up a partnership that would change his life.

"You need backers, you need people looking after you..."

"From Uptown Girl in the very beginning, everything was going so well," he recalled. "Then when she retired form the sport I hadn't really got any more horses. I had to look for a new path.

"I went to America as a way of trying to see a new way and to keep moving forward. Luckily I fell in with Sue Grange