Kürten drops six places

EQUESTRIAN:Jessica Kürten has plummeted to eighth in the world rankings, a drop of six places from the world number two slot she occupied in the recalculated January listings.

The Co Antrim-born rider has had a run of disappointing performances recently and is still not qualified for the World Cup finals in Las Vegas in April. Kürten (36) finished as runner-up in last year's World Cup final in Kuala Lumpur to take over as the world's leading lady rider and move into second in the overall rankings.

Kürten's arch rival, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, has shot up from third to claim the number one slot, overhauling her German compatriot and long-time leader Markus Beerbaum, who drops to third behind Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson. Cameron Hanley is the next best placed of the Irish riders, dropping one place to 51st.

Irish show jumpers recorded a brace of wins on the Florida circuit over the weekend, but there was very little joy for Ireland at the World Cup fixture in Bordeaux.

Corkman Shane Sweetnam and the aptly named grey, Victor III, headed the line-up in the Acorn Hill Farm speed class on the opening weekend of the 10-week Florida tour, while Co Down's Conor Swail claimed victory in one of the young horse classes with Chloe.

Cian O'Connor was also in the money in Wellington, finishing fifth and eighth in Saturday's feature jump-off with Echo Beach and Complete.

But the European circuit was less forgiving, with Kürten and Cameron Hanley both finding the gate to the winner's enclosure firmly closed against them.

The two Irish contenders finished equal seventh in Friday night's late-finishing six-bar and then Hanley slotted SIEC Hippica Kerman into fourth in Saturday afternoon's jump-off class.

But Irish fortunes faded in the World Cup qualifier, with a single mistake leaving the Mayo man down in 20th and Kürten faded into 22nd with two fences down.

Kürten regrouped to claim sixth in yesterday's accumulator, but subsequently drew a blank in the Grand Prix, ending up 12th after Quibell hit a fence in the first round, while Hanley, with a first-round 12 faulter, was left in 31st.