Eight nations are competing to win the prestigious Aga Khan Trophy in the blue-riband event at the Dublin Horse Show today.

ONE of the riders central to this year’s show jumping dispute over selection for Nations Cup teams is unable to attend a meeting set to kick-start a review of the contentious process.

The row over the selection process for the Irish showjumping team reportedly remains deadlocked despite talks in Dublin yesterday aimed at defusing the situation.

EFFORTS to resolve the row that has beset Irish showjumping failed yesterday, with Jessica Kuerten and Harry Marshall declaring themselves unavailable for international team selection.

Two of Ireland’s top international showjumpers were today urged to put problems aside to line out for the Irish Team in next Friday’s German nations cup.

The president of the Irish Equestrian Federation has failed to convince Jessica Kuerten to re-join the Irish showjumping team for an event at the end of this month.

CIAN O'CONNOR offered to withdraw his name for selection for the last two Samsung Super League Nations Cup competitions this year in a bid to restore some harmony to Irish showjumping.

Showjumper Cian O'Connor has rejected allegations that he interfered in the selection process for the Irish team in the Nations Cup event at the Dublin Horse Show.

Cian O’Connor made Irish eyes smile all over Athens last night after clinching Ireland’s first gold medal of the Olympics on his Games debut, but then revealed he could lose the horse he won it on.

IT looked like it could all go horribly wrong for Olympic showjumper Cian O'Connor when his car and his lucky jacket were stolen just days before the Games began.

Showjumper Cian O’Connor tonight won the first gold medal for the Irish team at the Athens Olympics.

Cian O'Connor, the grandson of Irish rugby great Dr Karl Mullen, choked back the tears as Amhran na bhFiann rang out around the Markopoulo centre tonight, singling the end of Ireland's Athens medal drought.

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has congratulated Ireland's Cian O'Connor on winning the gold medal for individual showjumping at the Olympic Games in Athens this evening.

Cian O’Connor crowned a superb Olympic debut tonight by clinching the Ireland’s first gold medal of the Athens Olympics with victory in the individual show jumping final.

Ireland are at guaranteed at least one Olympic medal after Cian O'Connor jumped a clear round in the individual show jumping event in Athens.

Jessica Kuerten will be the second last to compete in this evening's individual show jumping final at Athens' Markopoulo centre after a stunning clear round on ten-year-old mare Castle Forbes Maike earlier.

Jessica Kuerten sits joint-first ahead of this evening's individual show jumping final at Athens' Markopoulo centre after a stunning clear round on ten-year-old mare Castle Forbes Maike.

The Irish team is in action in mountain biking, show-jumping and the women’s 10,000m event at the Olympic Games in Athens today.

Carrick-on-Suir native Kevin Babington admitted that the pressure got to him in last night's show jumping team final, but, having qualified joint-fifth for the individual decider, his thoughts have zoned in on Friday's medal hunt.

Ireland's show jumpers put in an impressive display in last night's Olympic team final, as Jessica Kuerten's inspired clear round saw them rise two places to seventh under the floodlights of the Markopoulo centre.

Kevin Babington celebrated his 36th birthday in style at the Markopoulo centre, as he guided his mount Carling King to an individual fourth and qualified Ireland as ninth of 10 nations for tonight’s Show Jumping team final.

CIAN O'CONNOR produced a performance of courage at Hickstead yesterday as he secured the competition's sole double-clear to take Ireland within a whisker of landing a hat trick in the Samsung Nations Cup.