OLYMPICS / Barcelona 1992: Britain ride high: Equestrianism: Genevieve Murphy reports from El Montanya

KAREN DIXON and Mary Thomson held second and third places for Britain in the three-day event, after the first day of dressage was completed. They are close behind Germany's Matthias Baumann, who has a narrow advantage after his wonderfully accurate and flowing test on 14-year-old Alabaster.

With Richard Walker not far behind in equal 12th, the British team are well ahead of their main rivals from New Zealand who had a thoroughly depressing day. Their world champion, Blyth Tait, tipped by so many pundits for the individual gold medal, had a truly awful ride on the great Messiah.

Tait's problems had begun when his horse pulled a shoe sideways on the way up to the practice arena. While he should have been working Messiah in for the test ahead, the farrier was nailing a new shoe on his mount's near fore foot.

As soon as that work was finished, Tait was called into the arena where Messiah, without the benefit of a warm-up, misbehaved in almost every movement. The world champion is now in 41st place, 35 points behind the leader.

Dixon had a far more enjoyable ride on Get Smart, who 'felt really wonderful' even though he performed his test in the sweltering heat of the mid-day sun. Both horse and rider were soaked in sweat as they were led off, in seperate directions, for dope tests that are being taken at random.

Thomson rode her test in comparative cool in the early evening and her efforts were directed towards containing King William's exuberance, which she did with the utmost tact. As ever, she praised her mount: 'He was so good in the way he controlled his feelings when he could easily have boiled over.'

Walker was delighted with Jacana's test. This is not the best phase for the chestnut gelding, who is brilliant at cross-country, but it was the best he has achieved so far.

The horse had been given less preliminary work than usual, mainly because the ground in the practice arena was rock hard. 'I've never done so little before a test and I knew I was taking a bit of a chance,' Walker said.

There had been a minor panic shortly before Walker was due into the arena, when it was discovered his jacket had been left at the stables. He was lent one by New Zealand's Andrew Nicholson and might well have ridden his test in a Kiwi jacket one size too large if his own had not been retrieved 20 seconds before he started.

The final British rider, Ian Stark on Murphy Himself, will make his appearance in the dressage arena today.