Equestrian News: Ireland's show jumpers made numerous successful raids on the international prize funds over the weekend and although the top slot proved elusive, both Jessica Kürten and Billy Twomey claimed the next best thing with a runner-up spot each.

Kürten wound up seventh overall in the leading rider rankings at the money-rich fixture in Zurich, the highlight of which was an equal second in Saturday's four-way change-horse Swiss Life Challenge.

The world number three also finished fifth in Saturday afternoon's accumulator and was seventh in yesterday's Swiss Life Classic, missing the cut for the five-horse jump-off when Castle Forbes Libertina faulted in the first round.

Billy Twomey was campaigning at the French show in Nantes, where he picked up a second in Saturday night's two-phase and a third in the six-bar as well as finishing seventh in both Saturday's feature jump-off with Wertherroshen and in yesterday's two-rounder with Killy Jones.

But probably the most encouraging result of the weekend was the eighth place recorded by Denis Lynch in yesterday's Dutch World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam. The 30-year-old Tipperary man was one of 14 through to the timed decider and stopped the clock on 40.09 seconds with Lancelot.

The Irishman was more than four seconds adrift of German winner Marcus Beerbaum, but it was enough to earn Lynch eighth place and nine World Cup points to leave him 50th in the Western European league. Co Mayo's Cameron Hanley is still best of the Irish on 14 points in 34th place, one slot ahead of Kürten.