Great Britain finish third in Nations Cup series

Fletcher enjoyed success on Hallo Sailor at Hickstead last week

Great Britain's showjumpers finished third in the Nations Cup series after the final event in Dublin.

Tina Fletcher on Hallo Sailor and Nick Skelton on Carlo completed clear rounds to ensure the team finished fifth at the last of the eight rounds.

And despite Peter Charles and William Funnell suffering poor rides, the fifth-place finish helped the side to end the series on 42.5 points.

France took the title with 53.5 points while USA took second spot on 44.

Charles had been one of the most consistent riders of the 2010 campaign, but suffered in the final rounds and incurred eight and then 12 faults in his two rides.

Funnell's score was discounted after he incurred 12 faults on both rides.

The result comes after British Open champion Ellen Whitaker said in May she would not represent her country following a row with world class performance manager Rob Hoekstra.

Her decision followed Great Britain's successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) demoted the team following the 2009 Nations Cup event.