Irish showjumpers narrowly miss out on Rio Olympics place

Ireland narrowly failed to qualify for the 2016 summer Olympics in Brazil when finishing seventh in Thursday's final team round of the showjumping competition at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy.

Ten of the 35 nations who started on Tuesday jumped for a third day in the Stadium d'Ornano in Caen where the Gold medal went to the overnight leaders The Netherlands.

France improved from fourth place to take Silver ahead of the USA, for whom Beezie Madden now tops the individual standings following her third clear round of the week with Cortes C.

Friday is a rest day with the top 30 riders competing again on Saturday for a chance to make it into the final round of four on Sunday when riders will jump their own and the other three horses.

Ireland's Denis Lynch (19th), Bertram Allen (20th) and Darragh Kenny (24th) are through to tomorrow's first individual final but Cameron Hanley failed to progress when picking up nine faults with Antello Z.

World Equestrian Games - Normandy, France

Show jumping after day three, teams – Gold, The Netherlands 12.83; Silver, France 14.08; Bronze, USA 16.72; 4, Germany 16.82; 5, Brazil 16.95; 6, Sweden 20.01; 7, Ireland 23.51; 35 nations started.

Individuals – 1, USA's Cortes C (Beezie Madden) 0.16; 2, Sweden's Casall Ask (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) 0.34; 3, Tailormade Esperanza de Rebel (Soren Pedersen) 3.49; 4, France's Orient Express (Patrice Delaveau) 4.08; 5, Status (Rodrigo Pessoa) 4.10; 6, Conrad de Hus (Gregory Wathelet) 4.16; 19, Ireland's All Star (Denis Lynch) 7.83; 20, Ireland's Molly Malone V (Bertram Allen) 8.00; 24, Ireland's Imothep (Darragh Kenny) 8.82; 67, Ireland's Antello Z (Cameron Hanley); 144 starters.

Eventing - Burghley, England

Land Rover Horse Trials CCI4* (after first day of dressage) – 1, Australia's Happy Times (Sam Griffiths) 40.2 penalties; 2, Australia's Rutherglen (Andrew Hoy) 40.8; 3, USA's Arthur (Allison Springer) 41.2; 4, Britain's Westwood Mariner (Piggy French) 45.8; 5, USA's RF Demeter (Marilyn Little) 47.5; 6, Britain's KBIS Briarlands Matilda (Izzy Taylor) 48.3; 18, Ireland's Magennis (Jim Newsam) 56.8; 20, Ireland's Ballylynch Adventure (Michael Ryan) 57.8; 32 starters.