Equestrian SportJessica Kürten has maintained her world number two slot for the sixth successive month in the latest rankings issued yesterday by the International Equestrian Federation, reports Grania Willis.

The 36-year-old Co Antrim-born rider is now within 531 points of the long-standing world number one, Marcus Ehning of Germany.

There is, however, a distinctly downward trend among most of Kürten's compatriots.

Trevor Coyle remains next best of the Irish, but has dropped from 66th to 82nd. Billy Twomey, who was in 83rd place last month, has dropped out of the top 100 and is now 110th, while world champion Dermott Lennon has gone down from 103rd to 117th.

There is good news for Cian O'Connor. The Co Kildare rider is back into the top 100, moving from 124th in last month's rankings up to 95th. And Cameron Hanley is also on an upward trend, moving 32 places from 172nd to 140th.