Another devastating blow for Irish

DAVID FOSTER, whose cross country clear in Tuesday's team three day event allowed him to become the first Irish rider to jump round three Olympic tracks without penalty, failed to make it four in a row yesterday when his individual hope Tilt `n' Turn stopped twice at the first water complex and was retired, even though the fence had been altered by the removal of the final two elements.

It was the latest in a list of devastating blows for the Irish squad, following rapidly on the heels of team horses Enterprise and Sir Knight being withdrawn lame during Wednesday's final trot up. Both horses are recovering rapidly, although dirt was found inside the cut to Sir Knight's fetlock and the stitches subsequently had to be removed to allow the cut to be thoroughly cleaned out.

But news of the improvement in the team horses was no compensation to Foster, who had hoped to blaze a trail across country yesterday morning in his attack by the individual medals. Desperately disappointed that the grey chose to stop for the first time in his career on his Olympic debut, Foster felt that blue dye, added to the water just before the start of competition yesterday, had caused the problem.

"I'm not very happy that they didn't tell us beforehand that they had dyed it," Foster said afterwards. It was a disheartening end to the Olympic three day for Foster, who had set sail on the course full of determination to gallop up the placings from 20th overnight to within sight of the top. It was by no means an unrealistic ambition" however, as New Zealand's Blyth Tait, double gold medallist at the 1990 World Equestrian Games, was elevated from 15th to pole position after a supremely confident round with the inexperienced Ready Teddy.

The eight year old thoroughbred had won the Italian three day at Pratoni in the build up to the Olympics and Tait had already named him as his main hope for the Sydney Games in 2000. Although Tait and the chestnut survived an awkward moment jumping into the water, where both Foster and Tait's team mate Andrew Nicholson came un-stuck, Ready Teddy was foot perfect for the rest of the track to assume the leader's mantel with just 5.2 time faults to add.

Compatriot Sally Clark and Squirrel Hill had slotted in one place above Tait after the dressage but, fourth out onto the course yesterday morning, Squirrel Hill had to settle for an end of day second when relegated by Tait.

Most of the dressage leaders fell by the wayside during the morning, with Mary King and King William getting their wires crossed at the technically tough arrowhead combination at nine for an expensive 20 penalties that dropped them down to seventh.

America's David O'Connor, part of the homed side's silver medal team, opted for a rather more cautious pace with the Irish gelding Custom Made and, with 30.8 time faults to add, slid down from second to fifth, but this left room for fellow American Kerri Millikin to jump up into third with the speedy thoroughbred Out And About.

Australia's Nikki Bishop, who was well placed overnight in third to emulate her gold medal team mates in the individual rankings, was worried about the gaping ditch in front of the Indian Palisades at fence eight and with just cause. Wishful Thinking jammed on the brakes pitching his jockey into the ditch and was finally eliminated here.

Depression in the Irish camp has been some what alleviated with the news that open European champion Lucy Thompson, denied a chance to go"

for Olympic honours when her top two horses went, lame, has added the nine year old Welton Molecules to her Aspreys string and will take the gelding to Burghley in September. The horse, which is a brother to Thompson's European gold medal ride, was clear around both the cross country and show jumping tracks at Badminton this spring.