One of Ireland's best hopes for a medal in the upcoming Olympics has confirmed that she will not be taking part.

IRELAND’S joint second place in the opening leg of the Samsung Super League was as good as could be hoped for, but the fact it was shared with Switzerland and the US dented the value of the performance in terms of points gained.

EARLY optimism of Ireland’s first show jumping World Cup victory came to an abrupt end yesterday, when Jessica Kürten finished equal fourth at Gothenburg, Sweden.

Jessica Kurten narrowly missed racking up her third major consecutive victory at Gothenburg today when she placed second in the Speed Final with Lady Georgina Forbes's eight year-old mare Castle Forbes Cosma, behind Norway's Tony André Hansen.

A victory in this evening's (Saturday) Gothenburg Trophy gave Ireland's Jessica Kurten her second major win in 24 hours at the Swedish World Cup show.

PAUL O’SHEA is 10 points behind leader Clem McMahon in the Atec Premier Series with only two rounds remaining and is surprised to be there.

SHOW JUMPERS Shane Breen and Marie Burke completed an Irish double at the Longines Royal International Horse Show in Hickstead at the weekend.

Jessica Kurten took second place for Ireland in tonight's Grand Prix at the five-star show in Cannes, France.

Ireland's Jessica Kurten racked up her second place of the day at Gothenburg, Sweden, tonight when she finished in the Masters qualifier just a fraction of a second behind German winner Ludger Beerbaum in a 15-horse jump-off.

CAMERON HANLEY’S seventh place in the World Cup class at Vigo, Spain, last weekend has seen the selectors keep faith in him by selecting him for the penultimate round in Gothenburg.

A CHANGE of horse proved a judicious move for show jumper Cameron Hanley when he rode SIEC Concept to seventh place in Saturday’s World Cup contest in Vigo, Spain.

Ireland's Cameron Hanley finished a creditable 7th in the latest qualifying round of the FEI World Cup in Vigo, Spain, tonight.

Irish rider Jessica Kurten showed a return to form tonight when she placed third in the Credit Suisse Grand Prix at Zurich, Switzerland.

JESSICA KURTEN’S decision to compete in Russia at the weekend and miss this week’s Dublin Horse Show paid rich dividends as she netted $45,000 in prize money.

THE Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) Jumping Committee yesterday came out in support of Irish show jumping team manager Robert Splaine in his dispute with rider Jessica Kürten.

IRELAND show jumping team manager Robert Splaine is not one for bombast, so it was not surprising yesterday to learn that his aims in today’s French nations cup are modest.

SHOW JUMPER Jessica Kürten partied in the Dubai Desert last night after winning show jumping’s richest prize.

JESSICA KÜRTEN jumped four flawless rounds yesterday to win the Dubai Masters at the Al Maktoum Memorial Challenge and give herself the perfect fillip ahead of today’s cash-rich grand prix.

A MEETING between Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) chairman Charles Hanley and Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) president Charles Powell aimed at smoothing relations between the two bodies failed to materialise yesterday, following the leaking this week of a letter written by the SJAI interim chief executive Liz Pottie.

THE formal ratification of Robert Splaine as chef d’equipe to the senior show jumping team may not take place until January, as the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) has not scheduled an executive meeting until the New Year.

JESSICA KÜRTEN is to test the goodwill of the Irish show jumping selectors with a request for slots in forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.

IRELAND’S aspirations in the European Show Jumping Championships were dealt a crushing blow yesterday with the withdrawal of Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond and Roberts Splaine.

PERHAPS it was an early celebration ahead of St Patrick’s Day, but Ireland’s show jumpers ensured Florida was green last Sunday when winning the first Samsung Nations Cup of the season.

IRELAND'S show jumping chef d'equipe designate Eddie Macken answered his detractors in emphatic fashion at the weekend as he led a makeshift team to victory in the Nations Cup at Wellington, Florida.

THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) plans to set up a stewarding system at shows to “deter any misdemeanours which may cast a slur upon the sport”.

BLYTH TAIT kept his cool at a balmy Punchestown yesterday to claim a brace of victories, as Niall Griffin lifted Irish spirits with a third to the former world champion in the feature Olympic-format event.

“ONE of the better ones” was Kevin Babington’s description this week of his superb win in Sunday’s La Baule Grand Prix with the ever-reliable Carling King.

Ireland’s show jumpers finished a disappointing sixth of eight teams in the opening round of the Samsung Nations Cup Super League in La Baule, France, yesterday.

PUNCHESTOWN was bathed in the unwelcome light of politics again during the week with the publication of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee report into the circumstances of its State funding.