Kürten notches a hat-trick at Leipzig show
The 36-year-old four-faulted in the first round on Castle Forbes Libertina to be denied a place in the jump-off. However, her time was good enough to ensure her 14th place and net her three points in a competition won by Austrian Thomas Frühmann on The Sixth Sense. Kürten’s performance elevated her two places on the Western European League to equal 18th on 22 points.
On Friday, the German-based Antrim rider won the pre-qualifier on Lady Georgina Forbes’s 10-year-old mare.
She followed this on Saturday morning with victory in the young horse qualifier on the eight-year-old stallion Commandor and then emphasised the pairing’s quality by claiming yesterday’s final with almost a second to spare in the jump-off.
Corkman Billy Twomey was also in winning mode, tying for first in the six-bar competition. The Cheshire-based rider jumped four clear rounds on the 15-year-old Whinney Jackson, sharing the spoils with Germany’s Andre Thieme, riding Nacorde.
Twomey also lined out in yesterday’s World Cup Qualifier, but finished with 12 faults in the opening round on Luidam, who is newly-returned to competition following a lengthy, injury-enforced lay-off.
Meanwhile, the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) national executive meets today for the first time since the federation took control of senior team selection from the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) last Friday. The issue is expected to be raised by the SJAI representatives on the executive.
The EFI is expected to name its selectors' panel this week.
