SPORTS DIGEST: Show jumping Jessica Kurten picked up a €4,500 pay cheque after riding Castle Forbes Libertina to victory at the Dutch show in Valkenswaard yesterday, writes Grania Willis.
Kurten, one of two riders who have refused to ride on an Irish team with Cian O'Connor and who has also refused to put her name forward for selection for next week's big Super League fixture in Aachen, triumphed in an 11-horse jump-off, but hopes of a double vanished when Quibell faulted in the first round of the Grand Prix. Australia's Edwina Alexander took the €50,000 winner's cheque with Isovlas Pialotta.
Kurten was also in the money in Saturday's CN Worldwide Derby with Castle Forbes Maike, but a time of 111.70 seconds left the Irish pair fifth, just over five and a half seconds adrift of Swiss winner Markus Fuchs, with Sylver II. Kurten had picked up a seventh in the morning's Rabobank Prix with her other mare Castle Forbes Libertina.
On the home circuit, Cork's Sarah Kate Quinlivan came within striking distance of O'Connor in the race for the IJM Timberframe league title when winning the Grand Prix in Millstreet yesterday.
Second in Friday's feature class, Quinlivan and Newmarket Girl recorded the only double clear of the class to win from Robert Splaine and his European championship ride Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond, who had the fastest four. Quinlivan is now just nine points adrift of O'Connor in the league standings and another Grand Prix victory would move her ahead.
CYCLING: Irish duo Robin Seymour and Tarja Owens won the open mixed classification of the TransRockies Challenge yesterday, ending the gruelling seven stage off-road race a massive two hours 30 minutes and 23 seconds clear of their closest rivals, Blair Saunders and Marg Fedyna (Team Adidas Roll Up The Rim), writes Shane Stokes.
Saunders and Fedyna won the final stage, with Seymour and Owens (Team Podge and Rodge) finishing second. The Irish duo's performance was such that their overall time placed them sixth in the open men classification, underling the quality of their ride. Next up for the two is the marathon world championships next weekend.
Meanwhile there was disappointment for the Ireland riders in yesterday's junior world championship in Vienna, Austria. Seán Rock was the only finisher, crossing the line 14 minutes 41 seconds back in 85th place. He had been held up in a crash and but got going again.
Ciarán Cassidy, Ciarán Kelly and Maurice O'Brien each pulled out before the end. Cassidy broke a spoke on the first of nine laps, the wheel rubbing afterwards. Kelly was held up in the same crash as Rock, while O'Brien was involved in a pile up.
Russian Federation riders took gold and silver. Ivan Rovny finished five seconds clear of Timofey Kritskiy, with Germany's Sebastian Hans a further two seconds down.
At home, Bill Moore (Stamullen M. Donnelly) won the Brendan Campbell Memorial race, while Padriag Marrey (Western Lakes) took the Connaught road race championships.
