What a difference a year can make.

In 2016, Daniel Coyle landed a golden opportunity riding for the Granges’ Lothlorien Farm (CAN) under countryman Conor Swail. In May that year, he made his senior team debut for Ireland in the Furuyissa FEI Nations Cup at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, BC, posting one of only three double clear rounds.  Now the 22-year-old has taken over the reins as Lothlorien’s top rider and logged his first Grand Prix victory of 2017.

Riding Cita, an 11-year-old Holsteiner mare previously campaigned by Swail, Coyle won Sunday’s $75,000 Rosenbaum Mollengarden PLLC Grand Prix during Week One of the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, Florida.

“This is my first show with that horse and last week was my first week riding her,” said Coyle. “Conor did very well with her, so we knew she was a good horse. It takes me awhile to get used to them, and when I do, I feel very comfortable. I kind of knew her already from working alongside Conor, so I’m very happy. It is only my second week on her, and I really like her.”

Coyle narrowly edged his mentor out of the top spot, finishing in 37.05 seconds to Swail’s 37.16.

“I had seen Conor’s round. I was in the warm-up, and I watched his round because I knew it was going to be fast. Even when we worked together, we were very competitive against each other anyway, so I knew to watch him,” said Coyle.

Swail left Lothlorien in the fall to pursue his own business. Coyle is reaping the reward of his absence with several new mounts this winter.

“Fortunately for me, Conor left. I have all of these new horses, good horses,” he said. “I had very good horses before—a lot of younger ones there—but to get his horses as well as the ones that I had, I was very fortunate. It is just going to take me a little while to figure them out for myself, but today went well.”

In the past year, Coyle has moved 1,267 points up the Longines World Rankings. He’s currently 83rd.

Swail meanwhile is working to re-stock his string.

“Obviously leaving a top barn like Sue’s and Lothlorien, there is a void. I’m trying to fill that void, and it’s nice that I already have some good horses that I can be competitive with at the higher levels.”

Among them, Flower, the former mount of Nina Fagerstrom (FIN).

“Nina asked me just a few weeks ago if I would be interested in doing something with Flower and I said, ‘Absolutely!'” said Swail. “I knew the horse well with her, and so far so good. We have been gelling quite well together. I thought today was her best round with the two of us together, so I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”

He continued, “Nina’s still riding away. She just felt that the mare is quite careful, and maybe my strength would help her a little bit. It seems to be the case. The horse is fantastic. She is seriously careful and quite straightforward to ride. It’s fun having a horse to ride around when you know they don’t want to knock the jumps down. It makes the job easier for sure.”

As for being beat by his protege on a horse he produced, Swail is taking it all in stride.

“[Daniel] started here [at WEF] last year and he had done an unbelievable job with all of the horses that he had. Now the situation is a little different, and he has some nicer horses, and he is doing equally as good a job on them. It’s great to see him going well, and that was one of my favorite mares there, so it is great to see her going well,” said the Irish rider.

“I would prefer he was behind me to be honest with you, but it’s still good.”

Catherine Tyree (USA) and Bokai placed third.