Equestrian European three-day event: Britain, with 17 golds from the 25 previous runnings of the European three-day event championships, are heading in the right direction to add an 18th having swept to a 10-point lead after the dressage at the Fáilte Ireland IFG championships at Punchestown.
But the home side are languishing seventh of the eight teams and have some serious ground to make up if they are to nail the top-five placing needed to guarantee a slot on the startlist for next year's Athens Olympics.
The Irish, never thought of as a dressage nation, have a reputation as major players on the cross-country stage, but the team riders and their horses will need to be firing on all cylinders today if they are to make an impression on the leaders, with a gap of 45.6 penalties dividing Britain and the hosts.
"The situation is serious", chef d'equipe, Helen Cantillon O'Keeffe, said yesterday after the electric atmosphere had left team riders Sherelle Duke and Trish Donegan sitting on the equine equivalent of time bombs, with only supremely tactful riding keeping their horses within the confines of the dressage arena.
"We can't afford to play for safety now. The margin for error has been seriously diminished and they'll really have to attack to get up into the reckoning. Whatever leeway we might have had has been used up in the dressage."
Sasha Harrison, lying second after Thursday's dressage, is still best of the home side in eighth, but the Co Armagh rider wasn't considered for team selection after an injury to her horse, All Love du Fenaud, forced her to miss the whole spring season.
Jonty Evans, also running as an individual for Ireland, is still in touch in 10th with Cregwarrior, while Niall Griffin yesterday completed the Irish trio in the top 20 when slotting Lorgaine into 19th.
The French cause was bolstered by a sensational test from Nicolas Touzaint, which not only put France into second ahead of Thursday's leaders Italy, but also boosted Touzaint to the top of the individual rankings. The grey Galan de Sauvagere picked up three perfect 10s during his test yesterday for a mark of 29.8.
Germany's Bettina Hoy is 2.2 adrift in second ahead of Thursday's overnight leaders Susanna Bordone and Ava for Italy, with defending champion Pippa Funnell in fourth. Funnell is riding one of her less experienced horses, following injuries to both Supreme Rock and Cornerman, but the 10-year-old Walk On Star is proving an able deputy.
Considerable reshuffling of the placings is expected. Two fences have been reduced in severity, with the ditch in front of the massive Waterford Crystal W narrowed and the corner at Kickham's Tree two fences later reflagged to make the long route more time consuming.
