Peter Charles, Ireland's only hope for this week's World Cup show jumping final in Helsinki, has been forced to pull out of the five-day fixture following a minor injury to his horse, Carnavelly.

Charles rode the talented eight-year-old Chou Chin Chow gelding to finish second in the last Volvo qualifier at Gothenburg 10 days ago, and the points boosted him to third overall in the western European league. But Carnavelly showed some swelling below his knee after the Gothenburg round and a veterinary examination revealed ligament damage.

Charles was told that there was a 50/50 chance that Carnavelly would be able to start in the Helsinki finals, which start today. The horse was due to fly to Helsinki at the weekend, but Charles reluctantly made the tough decision to pull out.

"I was told that if it was just a grand prix the horse would probably be all right. But with three days of major jumping he could do more damage and be out of action for a long time. If he is rested now he could be back in work within a couple of weeks.

"Obviously I am disappointed, but when you compare it to David's death it puts it all in perspective," Charles said yesterday, referring to Olympic three-day event rider David Foster's tragic fatal accident on Monday.