Kürten drops to 16th in world rankings

THE effects of the dispute between Jessica Kürten and the owner of her top horses Lady Georgina Forbes were made visible yesterday, with the latest Rolex World Rankings showing the rider falling to 16th.

The conflict between the two has seen Kürten denied the ride on the likes of Castle Forbes Libertina, CF Cosma and CF Myrtille Paulois, meaning results have been hard to come by for the Antrim rider, who has slipped five places in the rankings.

While the magnificent Libertina was injured for much of last year, the mare was returning to competition when matters came to a head between Kürten and Longford-based Forbes. Tax payments have been cited as one of the reasons for the dispute, which has seen Kürten keeping the five horses at her base in Rheinland, Germany.