Trevor Coyle, Ireland's main hope of an individual medal, will be the first Irish rider to go and fifth overall in today's speed leg of the European show jumping championships at Hickstead.

After two hours of continuous rain yesterday afternoon, Irish chef d'equipe Tommy Wade has opted to give Coyle and the stallion Cruising the chance of jumping on the best ground possible, but may change the order for tomorrow's Nations Cup style team decider.

"The speed round doesn't really suit our horses at all," Wade said yesterday, "but it's no good fooling around trying for a clear. It's better to have a crack at it and have a five-second penalty than to dawdle around. If we don't go for it we might as well go home."

The four Irish horses all jumped well in the warm-up class yesterday, giving their horses the opportunity of a school in the arena before the serious business starts today. Both the speed round and tomorrow's team championship count towards Sunday's individual final.

Marion Hughes and Heritage Charlton are 22nd to go in the 64-runner field, with Jessica Kurten and Paavo next of the Irish in 39th on the starting grid. Edward Doyle runs in slot 54 with Windgates King Koal, immediately after Nick Skelton and Hopes are High.

John Whitaker, who has been a member of British teams that have won three gold, four silver and one bronze medal in eight European championships, dropped out of the squad on Monday, but still managed to score in one of yesterday's non-championship classes, winning the Derby Tankard with Helsinki Steps.

Whitaker had offered to bring in the young stallion as a substitute for his two sidelined horses, Virtual Village Flower and his Kerrygold Grand Prix winner Welham which are both lame, but the British selectors turned him down, preferring to draft in Geoff Billington and It's Otto.

Despite his last-minute addition to the squad, Billington has now been put onto the British team at the expense of Robert Smith, whose veteran Tees Hanauer has only just returned to full fitness.