Jessica Kürten lets Libby loose again in Leipzig….

Ireland's Jessica Kuerten secured a second sensational victory in the 2007/2008 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping series when coming out on top in the Sparkasse-sponsored leg in Leipzig, Germany this afternoon where she devastated the opposition with another superb performance from Castle Forbes Libertina.

The 12 year old mare and her rider were on a roll as 2007 drew to a close having won the Top-Ten Final and taken joint-runner-up spot in the Rolex FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in Geneva before coming out to claim pole position at Olympia in London just a few days before Christmas, and their form looks set to continue into 2008.

Irish team manager Robert Splaine watched from the sidelines as the World No. 4 came with a late run in the 12-horse jump-off and said “Jessica was in a class of her own and Libertina was unbelievable! They are such an amazing partnership!”.

Only one rider failed to complete Frank Rothenberger's first-round track and that was Italy's Jonella Ligresti and Nanta who retired on course, while Germany's Daniel Deusser was left to rue the frustrating single time penalty he collected with the mare Pristanna that kept him out of the second-round decider. A total of 12 riders collected just four faults and, after a long absence from the World Cup circuit, Austrian legend Hugo Simon was back in business today when he left two fences on the floor. Riding the mare Ukinda who was a winner in Vienna last year, the three-time champion who first claimed the World Cup title in the inaugural 1978/1979 season seems to be defying stories of his retirement and, at the tender age of 65, is still cutting it with the best of them.

Britain's Robert Smith was pathfinder against the clock with Kalusha but two stops at the double incurred elimination. Unusually, Ireland had two through to the jump-off today, and German-based Denis Lynch was next to go with the former Gregory Wathelet ride Lantinus who won the Grand Prix classes at Bourg en Bresse, Wiesbaden and Cannes in 2007 for the rider who transferred from Belgium to ride for The Ukraine in 2006. Lynch, who also includes the former Daniel Deusser ride Upsilon d'Ocquier in his string, collected four faults in 35.26 second to set today's pace but Germany's Lars

Nieberg and the 15 year old mare Lucie then went clear to take over the lead when clear in 36.10.

Fellow-German Max Kuhner has sprung something of a surprise in recent weeks as the full-time businessman who runs a leasing company can only work his horses in the evenings and at weekends and yet defied his amateur profile when finishing third at the previous leg in Mechelen in December before coming out to qualify for the jump-off again today. Once more riding the 10 year old mare Acantus he set off with caution against the clock and while his time of 42.75 seconds was a slow one his clean jumping ensured he would stay well in touch.

Half of those through to the timed round were home runners and Marcus Ehning was next to go with his 2006 Rolex FEI World Cup™ Final winner Sandro Boy who raised the game when crossing the line without penalty in 34.42, and when Portugal's Luciana Diniz and Meautry's Locarno, winners of Friday night's Pre-Qualifier, had a fence down then the host country still had the whip hand at the halfway stage.

Sweden's Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and the exciting stallion Ninja La Silla threw down a strong challenge but with the clock showing 34.43 seconds had to line up behind Ehning at the head of affairs and then Belgium's Judy-Ann Melchior and Levisto Z returned another clear round but were two seconds off the target.

With four left to go Ludger Beerbaum took his turn, Couleur Rubin posting a keen time of 34.89 seconds to stay well in the frame, and when Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum crossed the line with Le Mans in 40.95 seconds she also was assured of more qualifying points without putting herself under too much pressure.

Kuerten however seems to be thriving on challenge right now and, second-last into the ring, set off with Libertina at full gallop. “She got the edge with a great turn-back at the fourth fence” said Robert Splaine afterwards, “and she just flew down the final line and through the finish – she was untouchable!” he added.

With the clock showing 33.60 seconds that was exactly what the Irish rider proved to be as Germany's Marco Kutscher brought the competition to a close with a single error from Cash in 35.87 seconds.

Kuerten lined up to collect the €21,250.00 winners prize ahead of Ehning in second and Bengtsson in third, while Ludger Beerbaum slotted into fourth and Nieberg nudged in ahead of Melchior in fifth spot.

“When Libby is in this kind of form then I just have to stay onboard and let her take all the decisions!” a delighted Kuerten said afterwards. “She is a super-intelligent horse and I'm so very lucky to have her!” she added.

This result now rockets the Irish rider way ahead of the rest on the leaderboard, her 79 points giving her a 44-point advantage over Spain's Rutherford Latham in second position. Bengtsson, Michaels-Beerbaum, Ludger Beerbaum and opening-round winner Helena Lundback from Sweden also look to have comfortably made the qualification zone but with just four legs of the series to go there is still work to be done for many others.

Amsterdam in The Netherlands makes a welcome return to the series next weekend, and with just Bordeaux in France, Vigo in Spain and s'Hertogenbosch in Holland remaining after that the opportunities to amass those all-important points in order to qualify for the April final in Gothenburg are quickly running out……

Results (20.01.08)

CSI4*-W – Leipzig
Grand Prix Rolex FEI World Cup
Artº FEI 238.2.2 – 1,55m

1º Jessica Kürten (Irl) / Castle Forbes Libertina / 0 / 0 – 33,60s
2º Marcus Ehning (Ale) / Sandro Boy / 0 / 0 – 34,42
3º Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (Sue) / Ninja La Silla / 0 / 0 – 34,43
4º Ludger Beerbaum (Ale) / Couleur Rubin / 0 / 0 – 34,89
5º Lars Nieber (Ale) / Lucie / 0 / 0 – 36,10
6º Judy-Ann Melchior (Bel) / Levisto Z / 0 / 0 – 36,35
7º Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Ale) / 0 / 0 – 40,95
8º Max Kühner (Ale) / Acantus GK / 0 / 0 – 42,72
9º Luciana Diniz (Por) / Meautry's Locarno / 0 / 4 – 35,12
10º Denis Lunch (Irl) / Lantinus / 0 / 4 – 35,26

RANKING ROLEX FEI WORLD CUP™ JUMPING 2007/2008
WESTERN EUROPEAN LEADERBOARD AFTER ROUND 8 IN LEIPZIG:

1. Jessica Kuerten – 79
2. Rutherford Latham – 45
3. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson – 47
4. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum – 46
5. Ludger Beerbaum – 44
6. Helena Lundback – 41
7. William Whitaker – 39
8. Albert Zoer – 38
9. Judy-Ann Melchior – 33
10. Steve Guerdat – 31
11. Nick Skelton – 30
12. Malin Baryard-Johnsson – 28
13. Luciana Diniz – 27
14. Marco Kutscher, Michel Hecart- 25
16. Marcus Ehning – 24
17. Max Kuhner – 24
18. Michael Whitaker, Daniel Deusser – 24
20. Heinrich-Hermann Engemann – 23