Kurten finishes joint fourth in World Cup

Jessica Kurten failed to break the 30-year jinx that has denied Irish riders a World Cup win, when finishing equal fourth after today's final competition at Gothenburg, Sweden, but an American-owned Irish-bred horse did claim the runner-up spot.

Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum took the trophy when finishing on a double clear round today with Shutterfly, leaving her with a total of just four penalties after three competitions at the Swedish venue this weekend.

Antrim-born Kurten, who was ahead on zero penalties at the start of today's two-round competition, dropped two fences first time out, and added another four faults when she hit a single fence on her second round with Lady Georgina Forbes's mare Castle Forbes Libertina.

Her final penalty tally in the World Cup was 12 faults, which gave her an equal fourth place alongside Switzerland's Beat Mandli and Germany's Ludger Beerbaum.

But American rider Rich Fellers flew the flag for Ireland when he slotted Harry and Mollie Chapman's Irish-bred chestnut stallion Flexible into second place in the championship on a total weekend

score of six faults, emulating the success of the horse's sire Cruising, who also took the World Cup runner-up spot in 1999 when ridden by Northern Ireland's Trevor Coyle.