Kurten wins Sportswoman of the Month award

Showjumping star Jessica Kurten today scooped the Sportswoman of the Month award for January.

The accolade follows her first major Grand Prix win at Amsterdam's four-star show in the Netherlands last month.

The Antrim-born rider faced immense competition in the nine horse jump-off competing against Dutch World Equestrian Games gold medallist Gerco Schroder.

A narrow victory ensued with just three-hundredths of a second, giving Kurten her first victory of the 2012 season. This followed her third place finish on the same horse, Vincente at the three-star show in Germany in October.

It is Kurten’s eighth time to win the Sportswoman of the Month award since the awards began in 2004.

Kurten will now battle it out with the other monthly winners at the end of 2012 to be named the Sportswoman of the Year.

The winner is decided by a judging panel, which is represented by individuals from The Irish Times, RTÉ, and the Evening Herald.