PROMISING a great deal more excitement to come, the Belfast International Horse Show kicked off tonight (Thursday) with a dead heat for first place in the opening class between British ace Robert Smith and Germany's Lars Nieberg, currently ranked fourth in the world.

With a star-studded field of 30 riders and horses, Smith and Nieberg tied for the top spot on an equal time of 48.84 seconds in Belfast's showpiece Odyssey arena, but Irish names were well represented in the final placings.

Irish army rider, Lt. David O'Brien was just fractions of a second behind the leaders, riding the Irish sport horse <Boherdeal Clover>, while Jessica Kurten, making a rare competition visit to the county of her birth, brought the seven yr-old bay gelding <Laurus> into fourth.

Billy Twomey finished sixth with <Winnie Jackson>.

In an earlier <non-performance> warm-up class this afternoon, Cian O'Connor was best of the Irish, taking a fourth place on the 10 yr-old bay mare <Calanda>, with Billy Twomey coming home in fifth with <Saffier>.

The Belfast show runs until Sunday, finishing with the Envirocare Grand Prix.

SHOW JUMPING RESULTS: CSI***** BELFAST NORTHERN IRELAND 27-30 NOVEMBER
2003

EQUESTRIAN SURFACES WELCOME STAKES
International Jumping Competition
Table A direct on time 1.45m
FEI Art. 238.2.1
Thursday 27th November 2003

=1) KALUSHA ; Robert SMITH (GBR) Faults 0.00 Time 48.84
=1) ADLANTUS AS FRH; Lars NIEBERG (GER) Faults 0.00 Time 48.84
3) BOHERDEAL CLOVER; Lt David O'BRIEN (IRL) Faults 0.00 Time 49.31
4) LAURUS; Jessica KURTEN (IRL) Faults 0.00 Time 50.65

6) WINNIE JACKSON; Billy TWOMEY (IRL) Faults 0.00 Time 52.01

30 starters

http://www.horsesport.ie

.