Derry's Daniel Coyle has Olympic debut to remember as Team Ireland make final

The Ardmore showjumper joined Shane Sweetnam and Cian O'Connor in the three man Irish team with Sweetnam – riding 'James Kann Cruz' - the first to jump and finishing with just one fence down for a four-fault score. Coyle took the second ride on his mare 'Legacy' with the pair producing a superb clear round before Cian O'Connor and 'Maurice' finished with one fence down and a time fault on the team’s anchor leg.

The performance was enough to see Ireland comfortably through on a total score of nine faults in a combined time of 230.22, leaving them sixth of the 20 teams that started the competition and just behind traditional big hitters Germany, United States, Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands. The remaining four finalists were Sweden, France, Israel and Mexico

There were a couple of high profile casualties with the likes of Switzerland - who finished fifth as a team in Tokyo - Canada and Brazil failing to make Friday's final which will see all the team start again from zero. The final gets underway at 1pm and Coyle was in bullish mood after his debut to remember.

“She was magic,” explained the 30-year old Derry rider about his horse 'Legacy', “Everything she’s done for me already, she doesn’t owe me anything. But when you get to places like this and she gives these kinds of performances, you always expect more of yourself.

“We’re not here just to compete. We’ve been to championships before and it doesn’t always go right and you’re only a fence away from win, lose or draw. So, as a team, we’ll be fighting really, really hard this time. We have a good team and can’t wait for tomorrow.”

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced," he added of the Olympics experience, "I’ve been to a lot of championships, ridden a lot of pressured rounds, but that’s something different.”

Coyle admitted the Château de Versailles track had been a tough opening challenge but said he was proud of his performance

"It is very tough. For the first round of the qualification we were not expecting it to be so tough,” he added.

"Nothing ever always goes to plan otherwise it would be simple. It’s a long way round when you go to a championship. There are five in a row which is not that simple for people to understand, but when there are five jumps in one chain - you only get that at championships. It’s something I’m very proud of and I will take forward with me.”

Coyle paid tribute to ‘Legacy’s’ owner, Ariel Grange, and promised he will be doing everything in his power to secure a medal.

"Unbelievable,” he added of ‘Legacy’, “I cannot thank her and her owner, Ariel Grange, for the opportunity they’ve given me. We have already done lots of championships. We haven't won one but this would be a good one to win. Tomorrow is the final of the team and it’s a new score so we will be coming out and fighting harder than ever.”

Grange, who took over the running of Lothlorien Farm in Canada from her late mother Sue, bought ‘Legacy’ when the mare was an eight-year-old and was thrilled with her horse’s performance and that her rider

“That was a bit stressful,” Grange admitted afterwards. “I think we all knew she could do that but there’s a difference with what we think in our heads and what actually happens.

“She makes it look easy but obviously it’s not. Dan does so well with her though. He did great, we’ve a great team around us. He and I have been together for a long time and with ‘Legacy’ obviously for a long time and he’s a fantastic rider.”