SHOW JUMPING:JESSICA KÜRTEN was on cloud nine at the RDS when her favourite young mare Castle Forbes Cosma took her first international class for delighted owner Lady Georgina Forbes of Longford.
Conor Swail, the Co Down rider now based in Malahide, gave chase for a close second place by just 0.40sec on Dubliner Glen Leddy's talented nine-year-old chestnut gelding Gold Digger.
It was a special class for both riders since Jessica had missed five weeks of shows due to an FEI ban and Conor had been out of action for three months due to back surgery.
Cosma has led a charmed life as she bears the scars from an accident as a foal when she nearly drowned in a river with barbed wire round her neck.
"I bought the mare as a four-year-old from Paul Schockemohle and my ambition is to return here next year to ride her in the Aga Khan team," Jessica said as she watched her main rival Katchina Mail, with Patrice Delaveau up, kick out a fence to leave her with the red rosette.
The Knight Frank Power and Speed was opened with Jessica and Cosma going clear in 37.23.
Cosma, an eight-year-old chestnut mare by Coleur Rubin, which competed with Ludger Beerbaum, was the tonic needed for Jessica who has served five weeks of an FEI eight-week ban, but is permitted to jump pending her appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Gold Digger was on springs clocking 37.63 as Conor cut corners to change the scores of the European riders and moving Phillip Spivey on Romanov into sixth ahead of US-based Kevin Babbington on Souvenir into seventh place.
Chasing an on-form Kürten is no easy task, but Swail had watched from the sidelines as the 38th to jump.
Belgian Niels Bruynseels with his chestnut Belgian-bred mare Aluna was third in 38.13, pipping Dutch rider Jurgen Stenfert on his grey mare BMC Okometa.
Some classy rounds from Phillip Spivey on Romanov II (GB), Kevin Babbington on his bay gelding Souvenir and Darragh Kerins with the sparky powerhouse Night Train saw them finish in the money with Niall Talbot on Tequie D'Ichi.
Irish riders continued to hold their own in the Speed Derby where leader Phillipe Le Jeune and Ulysse was soon deposed by Cian O'Connor on his young mare Baloufina showing a clean pair of heels in 88.60.
Captain Shane Carey and the Carrolls Flight-sired Cashla Bay was next to jump and what a round it was, stopping the clock in 85.78 and looking unbeatable.
Mayo man Cameron Hanley's Siec Royal Star, a bay Oldenburg stallion by the French sire Quickstar, was equally brilliant, moving into second behind Carey with a time of 86.01.
However, just as it looked like Carey was on top, Swiss ace Philippe Putallaz on board the bay mare Maastricht D did the impossible and shaved a fraction from the Army Equitation School star to win the much-coveted Paul Darragh Memorial Trophy in a time of 85.43 from 29 starters.
The Speed Derby had spectators riveted and there was not a sound as they willed each Irish rider to excel, hardly breathing as they made it over the 15th and final oxer.
Baloufina moved to sixth ahead of the original leader Philippe Le Jeune, with Shane Breen taking a worthy eighth place on Carmel Ryan's brilliant bay stallion Royal Concorde bred out of her King of Diamonds mare Trump Carder which competed with Jack Doyle for a time.
With Carey and Hanley in second and third, Theo Muff from Switzerland occupied fourth ahead of colleague Markus Fuchs on Sylver II. It was a Speed Derby with drama, including stops or falls, and no less than five riders from 29 being eliminated.
The showjumping concluded with Lauren Hough and Pits Daughter taking €4,000 in the Six Bar championship in front of Belgian Dirk Demeersman in second with Cicero Z Van Paemel. Sussex- based Shane Breen was third on the Belfast Odyssey Horse Show 2007 Puissance champion Lyssegan Clover Diamond which is also a bareback high jump champion from Ballinasloe Fair.
The Young Rider Speed Derby was won by 20-year-old Dubliner Sara Glynn on the 12-year-old popular event mare Killossery Wren's Nest. This bay mare scored 120.11 to win for Sara and has now retired to become a broodmare.
Leading international rider on yesterday's league table was Gert Jan Bruggink on 14, with Peder Fredricson on 13 and Markus Fuchs in third with eight points.
Cian O'Connor shares fourth place with Lauren Hough on six, Darragh Kerins sharing sixth place on five points with Denis Lynch.