EQUESTRIAN: France boosted its gold medal tally to four in Jerez, Spain, yesterday by scooping the team showjumping title in a thrilling, eight-hour marathon which saw Ireland's fluctuating fortunes denying them not only a place on the podium, but even an Olympic qualifying slot as Tommy Wade's quartet dropped to overall seventh.

The French, gold medallists at the World Championships in Dublin 20 years ago and again in Stockholm at the inaugural World Games in 1990, had established their credentials in Wednesday's speed class, and, although the Swedes overtook them in the first round of yesterday's team decider, they couldn't be stopped at the finish. Sweden took silver ahead of the late-rallying Belgians in bronze.

The victory was a superb boost for the French breeding industry, as all four gold medal horses are breeding stallions.

But the French riders have blue blood in their veins too. Gilles Bertran de Balanda, now 52, was a member of the winning team in Dublin two decades ago and returned to the RDS last month to lead his side to victory in the Aga Khan Cup. And Eric Navet, a member of the victorious side 12 years ago, rode the stallion Quito de Baussy to take individual gold in Stockholm in the unique change-horse final that is only used at world championships.

Navet is currently well placed to go for gold again on Sunday, lying second in the individual rankings behind American Peter Wylde. But Ireland also has a strong claimant to a place in the four-way decider as Dermott Lennon, one of only seven to jump a double clear yesterday, is less than a fence off the pace in sixth.

Lennon, in his traditional anchorman's slot that he used to such good effect to clinch team gold for Ireland at last year's Europeans, had the Touchdown mare Liscalgot tuned to perfection for the job yesterday, and two foot-perfect rounds have boosted Lennon's confidence that he can make the cut for the individual final in tomorrow's top-25 qualifier.

Unfortunately, Liscalgot's superb double clear was the highlight of an otherwise heartbreaking day for the Irish, with the low spot coming when Cian O'Connor's Waterford Crystal picked up a stride early at the giant triple bar and crashed through the fence, falling heavily.

The horse had to have two cuts in his elbows stitched and did not reappear in the second round, putting the pressure on O'Connor's team-mates, who were left without the cushion of a discard score.

Kevin Babington, who had faulted twice in the first round with Carling King, had a magnificent trip round the second time for a clear that leaves him 14th going into tomorrow's final individual qualifier, while Peter Charles, who had also picked up eight on his first tour of the track with Corrada, looked to have another zero in the bag until his double Hickstead Derby-winning mare left the merest whisker on the flimsy plank going into the double.

That single error meant the difference between fourth and seventh in the team standings and both the medals and even compensatory qualification for Athens 2004 were out of reach.