IRISH rider Kevin Thornton, at the centre of a social media storm over the sudden death of one of his horses at a French show, today issued a comprehensive statement on his Facebook page.

In it, the 28-year-old Louth native, based in Switzerland, thanked his family, friends and the horse's owner, Vinnie Duffy and his family for their support over the loss of the horse known at home as "Finbar".