Ireland’s Jessica Kürtenfended off a powerful challenge from the host nation contingent to scoop maximum points in the eighth leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series at Mechelen in Belgium this afternoon.  From a starting field of 38 only four went into the second-round jump-off, and the 41 year old German-based rider snatched victory when second-last to go against the clock riding Lady Georgina Forbes’ Castle Forbes Myrtille Paulois. 

“It was a very special win, and I feel quite emotional” Kürten said afterwards.  “We really wanted to win, we were unbelievably motivated and we had to go very fast to beat Gregory Wathalet.  Winning this and the Queen’s Cup on Tuesday has made it a fairytale week!” she added.  Belgium’s Wathalet took runner-up spot with Sea Coast Cortes C while his fellow-countrymen Jos Lansink (Casper Van Spieveld) and Niels Bruynseels (NASA) filled third and fourth places respectively as the home riders put on a great show in front of their own crowd in the packed Nekkerhal Arena.

TESTED THE SKILLS
Kürten described the track set by course designer Lucien Somers as “big, wide and technically difficult” and it certainly tested the skills of the competitors from 17 different nations who lined out at this popular annual fixture at the Nekkerhal Arena.  The triple combination – oxer, vertical, oxer – proved particularly influential. 

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