Jessica Kurten took fifth place in the Antwerp Grand Prix when finishing on a first round score of four faults with Lady Moira Forbes's 14 year-old bay stallion Galopin du Biolay.
Only two riders made it through to the jump-off from a starting field of 50, and Belgian competitors dominated the top three places, with Dominique Hendrick taking the 12,500 euro top prize on An Sidec in a two-way battle with challenger Pieter Devos and Tekila D.
Third place went to fellow-countryman Dirk Demeersman on four first-round time faults.
Thirty-eight year-old Kurten was third-fastest of the first round four-faulters, behind fourth-placed Brazilian Olympian Rodrigo Pessoa and the chestnut mare Palouchin de Ligny.
Cian O'Connor was best of the Irish at the five-star Grand Prix at
Madrid, Spain with an eighth place on Castlemartin Stud and Stephen O'Connor's chestnut gelding Complete.
The only Irish combination to record a clear round first time out, the Meath-based rider was one of eleven though to the jump-off, but a single fence down robbed him of a certain top three place in the final tally, with Complete giving him the second-fastest time.
The Grand Prix was eventually dominated by members of Canada's Olympic team, with Jill Henselwood taking the 37,500 euro first prize on Special Ed, and Eric Lamaze slotting Hickstead into the runner-up spot, both on double clear rounds.
