Irish hopes fail to clear final bar as show jumpers leave Paris disappointed
Daniel Coyle knew that he was living on borrowed time - and unfortunately it was a case of time up in his first Olympic final.
Daniel Coyle knew that he was living on borrowed time - and unfortunately it was a case of time up in his first Olympic final.
Riding Legacy, the Derry showjumper claimed that he was the "weakest link" of the three-strong Ireland show jumping team - also consisting of Shane Sweetnam and London medallist Cian O'Connor - in Paris.
But Coyle was having a brilliant first Games and had secured three clear rounds at the magnificent Ch teau de Versailles course to sail through the individual qualifying.
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Only Sweetnam and Legacy had performed better in Tuesday's qualifying and, while O'Connor didn't make the final, it meant that both Irishmen were among the last three horses to go into the ring in the final round.
Only three of the 30 competitors that qualified managed to go clear as Coyle and Legacy came out for their round. They successfully negotiated the first half of a very difficult course - but then it all went wrong as Legacy lost a shoe and Coyle lost the stirrup.
Their balance suddenly all wrong, Legacy knocked the next four jumps and Coyle called it quits before the finish. "To walk away without a medal, for sure, disappointing," he said. "Show jumping is one of these sports that you just can't jump clear every single round. Unfortunately I picked the worst day to not jump clear.
"But yeah, I'm still very proud of the way we've jumped three clear rounds this week. By the law of averages you're going to have a fence down sooner or later. But to be honest, today it wasn't really her reel."
Coyle had suffered food poisoning on Sunday but rallied to produce a big performance in the qualifier. But the final course was a beast of a challenge - even world number one Henrik von Eckermann went tumbling.
"Just at the top of the arena, just before the plank at the end I lost a stirrup and a shoe and I just needed a moment to just compose myself and tell her it was OK," said Coyle. "But instead I came in the first distance and she hit the back pole of a triple bar and then lost a little bit of faith.
"When that happens we all stop riding and give up, and she's given so much all week that to be honest, at that point, when one was down we were over anyway.
"It's a s**t thing to say but actually when she had the one down, I kind of was half thinking, well, she can't do any more than that this week. We were hoping for a clear, but it didn't come.
"If the shoe would have stayed on, I would have kept me stirrup. I guess it's just the end of the week, we're all tired and got to that point.
"But there's not much more we can give so when you have one down, it takes a lot of energy. I'll go away with my head held high for me, my horse, my owner and everybody that has supported me, I cannot thank them enough.
"There's so much pressure I was putting on myself, not from anybody else. I loved that the country was right behind me and people that I don't even know, that don't even know horses, were watching today, so that was kind of cool."
Sweetman on James Kann Cruz was next into the arena but their hopes came to an end at fence 5B - there were plenty of others who failed to negotiate the jump.
“It’s ups and downs," said the Corkman. "That’s what the Olympics is about. Brilliant jumping, tough, the best of the best and it’s been tough every day.
"The support and the crowds have been amazing. It’s definitely been a brilliant experience in that sense. Yesterday was great. In the team event we were in it until the last rider for a medal.
"Obviously it’s a totally different experience from my last Olympics so to be at least knocking at the door and in the hunt it’s great. It’s great to be here and we’ll see if I’m back at the next one. You always learn. It's not satisfying unless you win a medal, but you can learn a lot from the experience.
"I can guarantee you there are 27 riders coming out of that ring thinking of what they could have done differently - whether that's before the Games, during the Games or in the ring. That is the way our sport is.
"I'm sure there will be some sleepless nights thinking about what I could do differently, but I did my best and that is all I can do."
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