Irish showjumper Jessica Burke secured her maiden five-star victory at the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup in Bordeaux, France, riding Good Star du Bary to a clear jump-off round. The 34-year-old became the first female rider to win the feature class, boosting her to seventh in the Western European League standings. The triumph guarantees her spot in the World Cup Final in Fort Worth next April.
Jessica Burke, a former maths teacher from Gort, Ireland, marked a personal milestone on Saturday at Jumping International de Bordeaux. Riding the 10-year-old French-bred grey gelding Good Star du Bary, owned by Liam Nicholas, she delivered the only double clear in a tense four-way jump-off to claim the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup class. This victory, her first at five-star level and in a World Cup event, netted €69,000 in prize money and elevated her to seventh on the Western European League table.
Burke, who left teaching over seven years ago to pursue show jumping full-time, was drawn last in the jump-off after the initial 13-obstacle course eliminated many contenders. Facing a time set by Germany's Daniel Deusser and Otello de Guldenboom—a four-fault round in 35.72 seconds—Burke opted for a faultless performance at 1.60m. The crowd fell silent as the pair navigated the course with precision, securing the win amid applause.
The emotion was palpable post-ride. "It’s my first World Cup and my first five-star win," Burke said on FEI TV. "My horse is only ten, but he has just six World Cups now. Five times he had one down, but today we were clear. To have patience and wait for your day to come is very hard, so the fact that it has come, I don’t think it has sunk in yet."
She praised Good Star du Bary as "the best horse I’ve ever ridden," noting his ability to light up with the crowd despite being relaxed in warm-up. Bred by Marina Storgato from Rock’n Roll Semilly, the horse has a strong French following. Adding to the occasion, owner Liam Nicholas attended for his 60th birthday, joined by Burke's family and friends.
This historic success—Burke is the first woman to win Bordeaux's feature class—comes on her sixth World Cup start. Britain's Jodie Hall McAteer placed best among compatriots with a time fault in round one on La Gupardie. Burke, recently returned to Ireland from Arion Stud in Hampshire, now eyes the Fort Worth final.
