17/06/09 IRELAND scored a first when finishing second at the FEI Hartpury Festival of Dressage yesterday (Thursday).

The Para Equestrian team of Kathryn Wheelock, Eilish Byrne, Breda Bernie and Helen Kearney recorded the country's highest finishing position at this level when ending in the runner-up spot to a dominant British team in the three-star event.

With eight teams competing in total, the Irish quartet edged ahead of Japan yesterday, but were unable to match the British score, which had been mounting since Wednesday with a succession of individual first places.

However, Wheelock took a fifth with 'Indi' and a seventh on 'Taurus' in Thursday's Grade III contest, while on Wednesday former Athens Paralympic rider Breda Bernie from Cabinteely in Dublin placed 'Tula' in runner-up spot in the Grade B team test with Helen Kearney on ''Boris-Zeid' in fourth. Eilish Byrne with 'Youri' also had a fifth place in Wednesday's Grade II team test.