JESSICA Kurten threw down the gauntlet on the opening night (Thursday) of the five-star Global Champions' Tour at Cannes in France with a decisive win in the evening's big jump-off feature class.

Riding her signature mare 'Castle Forbes Libertina', the Antrim-born 40 year-old was one of 15 through to the jump-off, but easily saw off French runner-up Philippe Rozier and Germany's third-placed Daniel Deusser with a scorching time, to collect 8,000 euro in prize money.

Afterwards Kurten said: “Today Libertina was particularly wonderful, it was an honour and a pleasure to be her partner.”

Kurten is joined at the French Global Champions' Tour venue by fellow Irish riders Denis Lynch and Billy Twomey, and all three are expected to challenge some of the world's other top riders and horses in a bid for points and a share of the massive 285,000 euro prize fund available in Saturday night's Grand Prix.
 

Jessica Kurten