Francis Whittington is the highest-placed British rider after the first day of the dressage at the Badminton Horse Trials – one place behind leader Paul Tapner.
Whittington earned a mark of 36.2 aboard Easy Target as Badminton officially got underway with Tapner just 0.2 ahead in first place with Kilronan.
Pippa Funnell is the second best Brit in fifth behind Tapner’s fellow Australian Lucinda Fredericks and Flying Finish and New Zealand rider Mark Todd and NZB Campino.
Meanwhile William Fox-Pitt, who won at Kentucky last month, the first event of the three in the Grand Slam of Eventing, which includes Badminton and Burghley, ranked 28 with Cool Mountain.
Fox-Pitt, a three-time Olympic medallist after winning team silver at London 2012, earned a mark of 53.8 but is due to return aboard Parklane Hawk when the dressage resumes.
© Sportsbeat 2014