GEOFF Billington just missed out on an Olympic medal in a dramatic jump-off at the Georgia International Horse Park.

The 41-year-old Accrington rider, on Dutch warmblood gelding It's Otto, finished sixth after seven riders jumped off for silver and bronze.

The light gate that Billington had down in the first round was his undoing again as Swiss rider Willie Melliger and Frenchwoman Alexandra Lederman went clear to claim the minor places.

Earlier, a disappointed Billington had given up hope of reaching the final shake-up as 10 horses had gone clear in the first round.

But, one by one, they all faulted in the second round - except Ulrich Kirchhoff who struck gold with Jus de Pommes - and Billington's magnificent clear handed him an unexpected lifeline.

"I thought I was out of it and had to gather my thoughts very quickly when I realised I was back in with a shout," he said.

"If I had to ride it again I wouldn't ride differently.

"It was just bad luck.

"The crowd started cheering after we cleared the treble and I took a firm grip on him to make sure he jumped it.

"But it just wasn't to be."

In his first Olympic Games, however, he managed to upstage brothers John and Michael Whitaker and Nick Skelton, the backbone of the British team for more than a decade.

He also came closer than anyone to restoring some pride in the British equestrian team, again left without an Olympic medal as they were in Barcelona four years ago.

His performances on It's Otto were sufficient to ensure that their partnership will be strong contenders for a place on the Olympic team for Sydney in 2000.

But for the second successive Olympics, the British equestrian team have flown home without a medal amid mounting concern over the priorities of the sport at home.

Previously, the inquests centred on the absence of gold medals, but now there are serious worries about missing out on silver and bronze as well.

The figures are mounting up uncomfortably. The last British medals came in the three-day event in Seoul in 1988 with team silver and individual silver and bronze.

The last gold was struck in Munich in 1972 through three-day event individual and team successes. The last showjumping gold was won in Helsinki in 1952, with Harry Llewellyn on Foxhunter securing the team title.

And yet there can be no doubt Britain has riders who are among the best in the world, and who have experienced Olympic success.

John and Michael Whitaker were on the showjumping team which won the silver medal in Los Angeles in 1984, the last appearance on an Olympic podium by Britain's showjumpers. Moreover, they have continued to add to their trophy cabinets since.

Among numerous world championship medals, John Whitaker was European champion in 1989 and won the World Cup in 1990 and 1991, while Nick Skelton lifted the World Cup trophy last year.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.