Bronze for Brit eventing team

(GETTY IMAGES)

Great Britain's eventing team have secured an Olympic bronze medal after the showjumping phase of the equestrian competition in Hong Kong today.

Britain had started the day 11.70 points behind second-placed Australia and although Tina Cook enjoyed Britain's only clear round, they never really challenged for the silver medal position.

Germany won the gold medal after finishing the three-day event in first with 166.10 penalty points with Australia (171.20) second and Great Britain third (185.70).

Four of Britain's riders have qualified for the individual jumping final that takes place later today, with Cook's clear round pushing her into tied for sixth in the rankings.

Mary King is 13th, William Fox-Pitt is one place behind while Daisy Dick is 24th.

The top 25 riders during the team jumping qualify for the individual final.

Only the three best scores for Britain counted towards their final score as Fox-Pitt picked up just four penalty points on Parkmore Ed for a final tally of 64.20 while veteran Mary King, on Call Again Cavalier, scored eight penalty points to finish on 64.10.

But it was Olympic debutant Cook who performed best as the 37-year-old cleared all the fences to help ensure that third place belonged to Britain.

It was all the more impressive considering Cook's horse Miners Frolic, who at just 10 years old is the youngest in the British team.

"I'm so excited," she said. "The way he has jumped feels great.

"The horse is really young and I'm really pleased with him as he has never seen anything like this before."

Ireland's team of Patricia Ryan, Niall Griffin, Geoffrey Curran, Louise Lyons and Austin O'Connor finished eighth with 276.10 points.

O' Connor, on Hobby Du Mee, was the only member of the team to complete the jumping phase with a clear round.

"It was brilliant," he said. "It is just the way you want to finish.

"It has been a great competition and the atmosphere in this arena is electric."

The German pair of Hinrich Romeike and Ingrid Klimke are well placed for medal success in the individual jumping final as they occupy first and second place respectively. Australia's Megan Jones is third while American Gina Miles is fourth.

Britain's Cook is just 2.40 points off a medal place.