Poor rounds from Cian O’Connor and Waterford Crystal, who picked up 12 faults, Antrim rider Jessica Kuerten and Castle Forbes Maike, who knocked down two fences and incurred a time penalty, and Marion Hughes, who retired at fence nine as Fortunus pulled up lame, saw Babington needing a clear to force Ireland back into the reckoning.

And he succeeded with a round of precise jumping.

“I got my clear round and I’m very pleased. My horse jumped great,” said Babington afterwards of his performance and his 13-year-old chestnut gelding.

“I had to spend a lot of time setting him up but got through. I want to get another clear round tonight, in order to make the final.

“The course was not how I expected it to be. It’s different - extremely big, but carefully built.”

Babington rescued the team’s hopes of qualifying as he jumped his second clear round of the week, incurring one time penalty, in stifling heat.

The Pennsylvania-based rider was comfortably through to Friday’s final in fourth place, with a combined tally of three penalties, as one of only 12 riders to jump clear rounds this morning.

Both O’Connor and Kuerten, despite their difficulties, qualified for the individual final with 13 penalties each, for a share of 33rd.

All three will jump in tonight’s team final (8pm, Irish time), as ninth-ranked on 22 penalties. Reigning Olympic and European champions Germany lead the way on 4.

Results:

Show Jumping, Individual second qualifier – (45 riders go through to Friday’s final):

(1) Beezie Madden (USA) 0 penalties, (2) Juan Carlos Garcia (Mexico) 1, (=2) Ludger Beerbaum (Ger) 1, (4) Kevin Babington (Carling King) (Irl) 3

Other Irish:

(=33) Cian O’Connor (Waterford Crystal) (Irl) 13, (=33) Jessica Kuerten (Castle Forbes Maike) (Irl) 13, (Retired) Marion Hughes (Fortunus) (Irl)

Team first round – (10 teams go through to tonight’s final):

(1) Germany 4 penalties, (=2) Netherlands 8, (=2) USA 8, (=4) Sweden 12, (=4) Switzerland 12, (=4) Belgium 12, (7) Brazil 16, (8) Italy 19, (9) Ireland 22, (10) France 24