Mixed bag for Irish

Show Jumping : There was mixed luck for Irish riders on the continent at the weekend most notably in Verona where Jessica Kürten…

Show Jumping: There was mixed luck for Irish riders on the continent at the weekend most notably in Verona where Jessica Kürten and Castle Forbes Libertina, winner of Friday's qualifier, failed to make it through to the second round of yesterday's World Cup competition won by The Netherlands' Albert Zoer and Oki Doki.

At the opening session of the four-star Italian event, Kürten and Lady Georgina Forbes's 11-year-old mare were sixth of the 43 starters into the ring for the 1.50m speed class which they took by less than a second from Germany's Heinrich-Hermann Engemann and Aboyeur W. Earlier in the day, Malahide-based Conor Swail finished second in the 1.45m jump-off competition on Glen Leddy's Gold Digger.

Cameron Hanley's string of SIEC horses continue their return to form and Royal Star won Saturday's 1.50m class in Liege where Denis Lynch triumphed yesterday in the 1.40m speed competition on Schneesturm TSG. Thomas Ryan's best placing at the four-star show in Vienna came when joint-third in Friday's 1.40m two-phase class with Atomic Mouse.

As the two-star show at the Cavan Equestrian Centre drew towards its conclusion yesterday evening, Capt David O'Brien and the 13-year-old Furisto mare Newmarket Girl landed the international speed class.