Equestrian News: Jessica Kürten defended herself yesterday against claims she had refused to allow her horse to be stabled near Cian O'Connor's horse at the European championships in Mannheim, Germany.
"I wasn't stabled with the Irish because the stable I was given originally was very dirty", she told The Irish Times yesterday. "The stewards came and ordered it to be cleaned and my horse was moved into the Irish stables after the warm-up." Kürten said claims there was tension in the Irish stables because of friction between herself and O'Connor were untrue. "There's no friction with Cian, because I don't speak to him. I ignore him. I haven't spoken to Cian for two years", she said.
Kurten, who is lying in 10th place at the European championships and is the only Irish rider qualified for tomorrow's top-25 individual final, said she had spoken to team manager Robert Splaine before the championships and asked to be treated with respect. "I asked that I could be respected and allowed to do my job in the ring. It does tend to be forgotten what I do in the ring, but every time I go on the team I try to do my best," she stated.
The 37-year-old said there had been no difficulty between herself and the other members of the Irish squad, Cameron Hanley, Marion Hughes and Marie Burke. "There's been absolutely no problem whatsoever with Cameron, Marion and Marie. In fact Cameron was the first one to congratulate me today."
A superb clear round from Kurten and the mare Castle Forbes Libertina in yesterday's team medal decider boosted the pair up from overnight 22nd to 10th, leaving Kurten just two fences off the medals going into tomorrow's individual final.
Co Antrim-born Kürten was the only Irish rider competing in the championship classes yesterday as O'Connor, in 28th after Thursday's second leg, opted to withdraw his mare Echo Beach to save her for next week's Spanish Nations Cup in Gijon.
Marie Burke, who was dropped from the Irish team on Tuesday, jumped a brilliant round with the stallion Chippison in yesterday morning's non-championship speed class. The Co Clare rider slotted into third to qualify for today's €100,000 Grand Prix, where she will be hoping for a good result to prove that her exclusion from the team was the wrong decision.
Germany's bid for a third consecutive team title was brought to a dramatic end yesterday when former world number one Marcus Ehning failed to get round the course for the third day in a row with Noltes Kuchengirl. The mare had been eliminated on the opening day and in Thursday's first round of the Nations Cup. Ehning opted to retire after a first refusal yesterday, effectively leaving the Germans with a three-man team.
Ludger Beerbaum and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum were clear to slot into second and third behind Switzerland's Christina Liebherr in the individual standings, but a four-faulter from Christian Ahlmann allowed the Dutch to overtake the hosts and claim team gold and €27,200 in prize money.
The win gave the Dutch the world and European double as they took the team title at the world equestrian games, also on German soil, in Aachen last summer.
A resurgent British team overtook Switzerland for the bronze, despite a disastrous start from Michael Whitaker, who collected 13 faults. Whitaker's brother John produced a medal-winning clear, while their niece, Ellen, on her senior championship debut, added just a single time fault to the team total. The main aim for the British at the start of the week had been Olympic qualification, but they ended the week with European bronze.
The Belgians were in fifth after Thursday's first round of the Nations Cup and looked certain to take another of the three Olympic slots on offer, but their challenge collapsed when 20-year-old Judy-Ann Melchior was eliminated with Grand Dame. The team dropped to 10th, allowing Sweden and Norway to snatch the last two tickets to Hong Kong in 2008.
EUROPEAN SHOW JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS - Teams: 1, Netherlands, 7.37 faults; 2, Germany, 9.18; 3, Britain, 15.43. Individual standings(after three rounds) - 1, Switzerland's L.B. No Mercy (Christina Liebherr), 0 faults; 2, Germany's Goldfever (Ludger Beerbaum), 1.11; 3, Germany's Shutterfly (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum), 1.54; 10, Ireland's Castle Forbes Libertina (Jessica Kurten), 5.60. Speed class(non-championship) - 1, Portugal's Meautry's Locarno (Luciana Diniz), 62.15 seconds; 2, Germany's Checkmate (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum), 63.93; 3, Ireland's Chippison (Marie Burke), 64.40.
