Kurten motors to sweet victory in Antwerp

JESSICA KURTEN hit top gear at the four-star show in Antwerp, Belgium, claiming a BMW 116i car.

The winner-takes-all Masters competition saw each rider raising a fence of their choice on the six-obstacle course from the first jump-off and, if clear, all fences were raised to the same height. The minimum height was 1m45 and the maximum allowed 1m70. However, one error saw the rider eliminated, with all fences returning to the minimum height.

German-based Antrim woman Kurten produced five clear rounds with the nine-year-old Hannovarian mare Fashion, with Belgian Jos Lansink the next best when four-faulting with King Kolibri in the fifth round of a contest that boasted a world-class field.

At the three-star show in Hagen, Germany, Cian O’Connor steered Complete to fourth place in a speed and handiness class yesterday.

Captain Geoff Curran (24th) got off to a steady start in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, scoring 55 penalties in dressage with The Jump Jet, while Hilda Donahue (37th) and Extravagance finished the first phase on 60.2pens.

The cross-country takes place today at the event, which is a test-run for September’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, with the show jumping phase bringing the competition to a conclusion tomorrow.

The two-day Ballindenisk International Horse Trials commence today.