SHOW JUMPING:Elizabeth Power was denied victory by the slimmest of margins in the feature two-star competition at the Tattersalls international three-day event in Co Meath yesterday.

The 22-year-old, whose brother Robert steered Silver Birch to victory in the Aintree Grand National, had moved up from fourth after the dressage to third at the close of play after Saturday's cross-country.

A clear in yesterday's rain-soaked show jumping guaranteed the Meath rider promotion when New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, with the Dunboyne Castle one-star already under his belt, collected 12 faults with second overnight Epic.

But leader William Fox-Pitt refused to bow under pressure and went clear to claim the Irish Horse Board honours, leaving Power in second, unable to climb any further up the ladder.

Nicholson held onto third with Nereo, while world and European champion Zara Phillips rode Trevor Hemmings' Glenbuck into ninth.

Despite the rain, it was a good day for Fox-Pitt, who slotted Mary and Finn Guinness' All That Jazz into second behind Nicholson in the one-star and also steered Imran II into third, with June Burgess best of the Irish in seventh with Flurry Knox.

Camilla Speirs repeated her 2006 junior victory with Portersize Just A Jiff, while Lauren Devine took the pony honours with Jingle O So Good.

And there was plenty of Irish flavour to the international line-ups on the show jumping circuit, with Cameron Hanley breaking into the winners enclosure twice at the French fixture in Bourg en Bresse and young Mili McIntyre flying the flag with a win at the young rider and junior show in Compiegne.