Cruising, the horse tipped to win an individual medal at the European Show Jumping Championships in Hickstead, has been pulled out of the event by owner Mary McCann and has also been withdrawn from next month's money-rich fixture at Calgary in Canada.

The stallion hit three fences in yesterday's speed round and put a foot in the water to wind up 41st of the 64 starters and, although Irish chef d'equipe Tommy Wade has declared Cruising for today's Nations Cup, neither McCann nor jockey Trevor Coyle want to start the horse.

"He wouldn't be any benefit to the team," McCann said about the Aachen Grand Prix winner yesterday, "he'd only jump the same again, so what's the point of running him and upsetting him for ever after? He's too valuable.

"I've never seen Trevor have to hit the horse before and I've pulled him out of Calgary as well. I've always said that I wouldn't bring him to Hickstead and I was right. The horse just doesn't like Hickstead and I suppose we shouldn't have come, but you don't like to let your country down."

The withdrawal of Cruising is a major blow to Ireland's hopes of qualifying for next year's Olympic Games. A placing in the first nine teams today would get Ireland through to Sydney, but Jessica Kurten, who finished eighth yesterday, and team-mates Marion Hughes and Edward Doyle are now left with no cushion for today's Nations Cup.

There was one bright spot during yesterday's speed round when Jessica Kurten and Paavo put in a class performance to move into individual eighth, with the team filling the same slot going into today's team decider. A single mistake going into the combination meant a five-second penalty in a round that would otherwise have left the Irish pair in overall third, but they are still well in touch with the leaders.

Two down for Marion Hughes and Heritage Charlton has left them 32nd, just ahead of Edward Doyle and Windgates King Koal, who hit three on the way round. France's Michel Robert holds the overnight lead from Sweden's Maria Gretzer.