Kurten rides in Russia and scoops $45,000 prize

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 Antrim show jumper, who refuses to ride for Ireland in a dispute with team manager Robert Splaine, won the grand prix at Chernyakhovsk to pick up $30,000, having on Saturday won a speed class.

Yesterday’s grand prix at the show near Russia’s Baltic coast saw the world number two rider one of three to make the jump-off from a field of 27. On board the world number three horse, Quibell, the German-based rider had more than two seconds to spare when beating Swede Rolf-Goran Bengtsson on Grandina.