Jessica Kurten won this evening’s accumulator competition at the Global Champions Tour of Germany in Hamburg with a brilliant ride on Lady Georgina Forbes’, Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois. The pair, who have had other good GCT form in the recent past, including fifth in the Grand Prix of Monaco in 2009, scored the maximum 65 points a huge amount faster than their nearest pursuer. A time of 48.8 beat Germany’s Hergen Forkert (Elton John) by just over 14 seconds, an astonishing margin. Third place went to Marcus Ehning on Nolte’s Kuchengirl who also got a maximum score, his time being 65.86. These were the only three combinations to get maximum points.
The somewhat temperamental winning horse is developing a bit of a fan club as she seems to make her likes and dislikes quite plain which endears her to the audience. But the mare clearly enjoyed this as much as her rider with some spectacular catlike leaps. Jessica, as ever, paid tribute to her horse and her owner without mentioning herself but it should be remembered only a month ago the Irishwoman was forced to pull out of the World Cup Final due to injuries she sustained in a fall. Luckily it seems the enforced rest has done Jessica nothing but good and she won Euro 3338 to further aid her recovery!!
Earlier in the day Nick Skelton had made up for having victory snatched from his grasp at the last minute the day before by winning the morning speed class. Just deprived of a new Mercedes car by Irish rival Denis Lynch, Skelton was clearly a man on a mission today. 44 starters went against the clock and it was tenth to go Ben Maher who set the pace on Seventh Sense with a time of 63.44. But his moment of triumph was extremely short lived as he was followed into the ring by Frenchman Roger Yves Bost who flashed round over three seconds faster than the British number one. Another twenty horses jumped with none getting a faster time than Ben let alone Bosty’s amazing 60.23 so he could not have been blamed for starting to count the Euro 5000 first prize money before the class finished. There were only two left to go when British veteran Nick Skelton trotted in on Unique XVII. It was clear from the moment the bell rang, that Skelton had only one thing in mind and he whipped across the grass surface, still somewhat soft from yesterday’s rain, as if slipping was only a possibility for the slow. His sheer audacity was rewarded when the clock stopped at 59.58 and the money was his. The enthusiastic German spectators could not have wanted anything better to warm them up on a cold morning and they were noisily appreciative.
Tomorrow sees the GCT Grand Prix of Germany being fought out in Hamburg’s impressive arena. For details of the class and our broadcast schedule please see our website at www.globalchampionstour.com. ~ Lulu Kyriacou, GCT Press Agent
Results
Class 2
1. Nick Skelton (GBR), Unique XVII, 0, 59.58, Euro 5000
2. Roger Yves Bost (FRA), Jovis de Ravel, 0, 60.23, Euro 4000
3. Ben Maher (GBR) Seventh Sense, 0, 63.44, Euro 3000
Class 3 Accumulator
1. Jessica Kurten (IRE) Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois, 65 points, 48.8, Euro 3338
2. Hergen Forkert (GER) Elton John, 65 points, 62.0, Euro2038
Marcus Ehning (GER) Noltes Kuchengirl, 65 points, 65.85, Euro1438
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