Ireland's three day eventers had a disappointing end to the Olympic team competition, failing to match their Sydney finish of fifth as their show jumping saw them slip to eighth overall.

Ireland's three-day eventing chances took a nose-dive this afternoon to ninth overall at the Markopoulo centre in Athens, as both Edmond Gibney and Mark Kyle struggled and became the team's discard dressage scores.

BLYTH TAIT kept his cool at a balmy Punchestown yesterday to claim a brace of victories, as Niall Griffin lifted Irish spirits with a third to the former world champion in the feature Olympic-format event.