Equestrian News: Jessica Kürten's incredible run of success came to what will hopefully be a temporary halt at the Spanish World Cup fixture in Vigo last night, when she finished a disappointing 21st in the pre-qualifier for tonight's feature class.
The world number two and the mare Quibell, winners of last month's $250,000 Dubai Grand Prix, clocked the fastest time of the night on 58.62 seconds, but two fences down left the Irish duo well down the field.
Cian O'Connor and the mare Echo Beach clocked 68.58 seconds, but at the expense of a fence down to finish 15th.
O'Connor, despite World Cup outings at Geneva, Mechelen and Bordeaux, has yet to make his mark on the points.
Last night's class decides the starting order for today's highlight, the World Cup qualifier, which kicks off at 6.20pm.
Austrian veteran Thomas Fruhmann, who already has World Cup wins to his credit at Geneva and Leipzig, has the best of the draw, last to go, with Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson preceding him into the ring.
Kürten is currently lying ninth in the western European section of the World Cup standings. With five starts to her credit this season, the 36-year-old has missed out on picking up points on only one, her first outing in Stuttgart, where she opened her World Cup bid in November.
Kürten's tally stands at 35 and one more decent placing should ensure her a place on the starting grid at the World Cup final, which takes place in Kuala Lumpur at the end of April.
Kürten did at least feature in one of the earlier line-ups at the Spanish fixture, slotting Laurus into fourth in the Premio Coren speed and handiness, just over a second shy of the time set by British winners Robert Smith and Gerry Maguire.
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