Early exit for Lynch

Show jumper Denis Lynch failed to make it to the second round of yesterday’s Rolex FEI World Cup qualifier in Zurich, Switzerland, posting nine faults with All Star.

The result saw the German-based Tipperary native slip to 10th in the Western European League but, with just two legs to go, he is already assured of a place in the April finals in Gothenburg, Sweden.

In a competition that saw 16 of the 39 starters pick up time faults, victory went to Portugal’s Luciana Diniz on Lennox. It was the first World Cup win for the Brazilian-born 42-year-old, who pocketed the keys to a Mercedes car after producing the fastest of three clears in the four-rider jump-off.

She was followed by reigning European champion, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson from Sweden (Casall la Silla), and the previous week’s winner in Leipzig, Germany’s Christian Ahlmann (Codex One).

Diniz felt she had been knocking on the door for some time and it was only a matter of time before she stepped into the winners’ club.

“Since the Olympic Games in London we have been placed in almost every Grand Prix we have competed in, except not in Geneva, but we have been very consistent for a long time now, for almost two years in fact”, said the rider whose career path into equestrian sport was all but inevitable. Her mother, Lica, won the Brazilian National Dressage Championship title eight years in a row, while her brothers, Andre and Fabio, are top-class polo players.

She modestly insisted that she was “very surprised” to be quickest in the jump-off. “I honestly didn’t think I could beat the others, not with Christian and Rolf coming after me because they are absolutely the best in the world!” And now she is planning for the Final in Gothenburg. “We have a couple of months now to prepare for that and I’m looking forward to it already!” she concluded.

Four faults for Jessica Kürten, riding Vincente, in the opening round of Friday’s 1.50m Rolex Grand Prix was good enough to place the French-based Antrim woman seventh.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the new executive of Showjumping Ireland has been deferred until Feb 5.

The meeting will see a new chairman elected to replace Christy Murphy.