EQUESTRIAN:Jessica Kürten has dropped to seventh in the world rankings. The Co Antrim rider, who spent most of last year as world number two, has gone through a recent slump that has seen her demoted from fourth last month to seventh in the latest list issued by the International Equestrian Federation.

The 37-year-old is on 2,983 points, leaving her 490 adrift of world number one, Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum.

Sligo's Darragh Kerins got off to a flying start on the opening day of the US Nations Cup fixture in Florida. The 31-year-old claimed victory in two of the young horse classes.

Manager Robert Splaine last night named his team for today's Nations Cup, selecting Cian O'Connor, Conor Swail, Darragh Kerins and Jonathan McCrea.