Show jumper Cian O’Connor boosted his Olympic aspirations when runner-up in the Million Dollar Grand Prix in Ocala, Florida, last night.

Cian O’Connor continued to demonstrate the Olympic credentials of Good Luck on Saturday, the pair finishing fourth in the five-star grand prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida.

Shane Sweetnam got “two new toys” for Christmas, Buckle Up and Cobolt, but when it comes to fun, Chaqui Z remains the top plaything.

It’s been 15 years since an Irish team won the nations cup at Rotterdam and it’s guaranteed to be 16, as Ireland will not be represented today.

Darragh Kenny was particularly enthusiastic yesterday about his prospects in tomorrow’s $600,000 Global Champions Tour class in Miami, writes John Tynan.

Another weekend, another $1m show jumping prizepot in the US and Kevin Babington is not without confidence.

Equestrian: US-based riders get the chance to show off their horsepower to Ireland manager Robert Splaine in today’s $200,000 Furusiyya Nations Cup opener in Ocala, Florida, though Kevin Babington got in early last night when winning the 1.50m grand prix qualifier on Mark Q.

USA: A crook got away with a wad of notes from a Florida petrol station but was caught after making a stupid mistake.

PROSECUTORS in Florida said actor Wesley Snipes attended a lavish party in Dubai while free on bail as he appeals a tax conviction.

THE body of John Travolta’s 16-year-old son Jett will be flown back to Florida from the Bahamas for a funeral today, according to reports last night.

Actor Wesley Snipes has filed a motion with a federal appeals court in a bid to have his tax evasion trial moved out of Ocala, Florida.

THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland’s (SJAI) Premier Series will go ahead again next year, though a new sponsor is in the pipeline.

There is “no basis in reality” for film star Wesley Snipes’s claims that he cannot get a fair trial on tax evasion charges because of racial prejudice, US federal prosecutors said today.

ACTOR Wesley Snipes yesterday surrendered to authorities in Florida on tax fraud charges, two months after he was indicted.

PEOPLE in Florida will be allowed to kill in self-defence on the street without trying to flee under a new law passed by state politicians that critics say will bring a Wild West mentality and innocent deaths.