Equestrian Sport: Jessica Kürten netted €100,000 for victory in the Monte Carlo Grand Prix on Saturday.
Kürten, who will move up from fifth in the world when the rankings are published this week, was one of three to battle through two rounds to make the jump-off.
Always cool under pressure, Kürten was last to go and had Sydney Olympic champion Jeroen Dubbeldam's target of 30.84 seconds in her sights as she set sail with her 2006 World Cup runner-up Castle Forbes Libertina. The mare responded with characteristic grit to cross the line in 29.63 to snatch the title.
It was a similar, three-way decider for yesterday's Lummen Grand Prix in Belgium, where Conor Swail was easily the fastest of the trio, but a fence down on Nepomuk slashed the Irishman's winnings to €10,000 for second behind Britain's James Davenport, more than six seconds slower but clear for the win.
And Mayo-born Alex Duffy was denied the biggest win of his career at Hickstead on Saturday when two fences down in the Speed Derby added eight faults to the fastest time of the day with Iris du Bateau. That left the 17-year-old in second behind Britain's Ellen Whitaker.
