EQUESTRIAN:IRELAND NARROWLY missed out on qualifying for the 2012 Olympics' eventing competition yesterday at Luhmuhlen and must now rely on rider rankings to ensure participation in Greenwich Park next July.

The Irish team finished fifth behind the host nation Germany which completely dominated the European Championships, winning all three individual medals as they broke Britain’s long-term stranglehold on the team title.

The world champion Michael Jung claimed two golds on the Stan The Man gelding La Biosthetique Sam, on which he won in Kentucky last year, while Sandra Auffarth added an individual silver to the team gold she won on Opgun Louvo.

The other team members were Ingrid Klimke, who led from the dressage phase until having a very poor show jumping round yesterday to drop to 11th on FRH Butts Abraxxas, and Andreas Dibowski who had been eliminated on Saturday’s cross-country phase following a fall with FRH Fantasia. Frank Ostholt won individual bronze on the 13-year-old gelding Little Paint.

Britain, which lost the experienced Mary King to a fall on Saturday, went into yesterday’s show jumping phase in second place but had to settle for third as the three remaining French riders all recorded clear rounds. In winning silver, France qualified for London 2012 as did fourth-placed Sweden.

Westmeath-born Joseph Murphy, now resident in Co Down, finished best of the Irish in 18th place with Electric Cruise.