Ireland finished with two riders inside the top 20 in the final phase of the FEI European Eventing Championships in Scotland on Sunday.
Three clear showjumping rounds helped boost Ireland’s riders, with Carlow’ Sam Watson and Cork’s Michael Ryan making the top 20.
Ireland's other individual competitor, Kildare's Camilla Speirs aboard Portersize Just a Jiff, completed on a score of 79.50, to leave her in 29th place at Blair Castle.
Watson partnered Horseware Lukeswell and his zero score left him in 12th place overall, the best of the Irish performances on a total of 59.30 penalties.
Ryan, the only team member to complete Saturday's cross country course without mishap, finished 14th individually on Ballylynch Adventure with a total score of 61.10.
Saturday’s tough cross country course led to a total of 19 combinations suffering retirement or elimination, including three of the Irish team.
Heavy rain squalls swept former Olympian Ian Stark's cross country track as many of the world's top riders made uncharacteristic mistakes, leading to retirement or elimination.
Under FEI rules, a single fall leads to automatic elimination, and this was the fate of first Joseph Murphy and Sportsfield Othello, Padraig McCarthy with the gelding Simon Porloe, and finally Austin O'Connor on Balham Houdini.
Ireland was not challenging for an Olympic slot at the championships, having already qualified for Rio at last year's World Equestrian Games in Normandy.
Germany's Michael Jung was the individual Gold medallist, riding fischerTakinou, with Silver also going to a German combination, Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo, while France's Lt. Col. Thibaut Vallette and Qing du Briot claimed the Bronze.
Germany also took team gold, with Great Britain in silver and France taking bronze.
Speaking afterwards, top-20 finisher Ryan said: "It was a tough course that tested both horses and riders. The conditions on the cross country made it quite difficult but Mac took it in his stride.
"Two team members fell off, but neither horse or riders were injured. The focus now will be on the Olympics, which we are looking forward to."
