October 23, 2022 
If you searched through 10-year-old mare Costa Diam’s FEI record you’d find a scattering of results from 1.40m to 1.55m, but alas, no international wins.
That is, until Saturday at Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) San Miguel de Allende with a certain Irishman in the irons.
Spy Coast Spies Jordan Coyle (IRL) acquired the ride from his cousin, Christian Coyle (IRL), last winter in Wellington, and it didn’t take long for the mare to find her footing at Coyle’s speedy clip. On Saturday, the pair won the GTO Seguros CSI5* Winning Round at the iconic Otomí Club Hipíco. After all, if you’re going to log your first international win, might as well go big and make it a 5*, right?
Only chasing the clock wasn’t Coyle’s plan on the day.
With lack of experience at the top level comes lack of confidence, an important element in a winning equation and something Coyle has been working to develop in Costa Diam.
“I’ve tried my best to kind of not rush her. I feel like she’s very good. She’s very careful, and she can jump quite big, but she needs a little time. I was meant to jump the Grand Prix today but I talked to [owner] Jocelyn [Manship] on Thursday and we decided to jump this class,” said Coyle.
“The competition was quite easy for her, but also at some jumps she just doesn’t believe that she can do it. And she can do it very easily, actually, but she just doesn’t believe so I’ve been trying to jump her a little bigger, then jump her smaller. At any time I jump her smaller, I try and win. Up until today, that hasn’t happened. But I actually believe if I can get her to win a few classes she’ll win a lot.”
A good feeling from Costa Diam in the warm up on Saturday coupled with Coyle’s innate competitiveness resulted in a spur of the moment decision to go with the flow. Which was quick.
“It all happened pretty fast. I’ve actually only done a few jump-offs on the horse. Today, in the warm up, she was unbelievable. I said that I wasn’t gonna go crazy, but I think I maybe did go pretty fast,” deadpanned Coyle, who stopped the clock at 38.12 seconds, over a second faster than runner ups Arturo Parada and Wisconsin PS (39.27).
A seamless warm up was perhaps Costa Diam’s way of signaling it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Results come when a rider can accurately assess what challenges their horses are up for, and enter classes accordingly. Coyle has seen glints of top level talent throughout their training.
“She’s quite soft and delicate…so I’ve been trying to make her believe that she’s a winner. I think if she does that then she can win any Grand Prix, actually, not just these classes…hopefully it works,” said the always candid Coyle.
Ironically, it was Costa Diam that made the Irishman a believer in her potential, after some initial doubts.
“She’s quite strange, actually. When I tried her, I jumped four jumps and I was going to get off her…when the jumps are small, she doesn’t feel like she can jump any bigger. But today, from the first jump, she was loose and felt like she had all the scope in the world,” said Coyle.
It’s safe to say that things are coming together in this moment, and there are plenty more classes to be conquered. But, first things first.
“I need a beer,” said Coyle.
