Spencer Roe and Joe Clee helped Great Britain's showjumpers make a solid start at the FEI World Equestrian Games

Championship rookies Spencer Roe and Joe Clee both made impressive debuts as Great Britain's showjumpers enjoyed a solid start to their Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games medal campaign in Caen.

Lincolnshire-based Roe, 21, and 36-year Clee jumped clear rounds on Wonder Why and Utamaro d'Ecaussines, respectively, while Michael Whitaker matched them with Viking.

Although world number one Scott Brash, who suffered a bout of food poisoning overnight, had one fence down aboard Hello Sanctos, Britain - the reigning Olympic and European team champions - could reflect on a sound opening day's business at Stade D'Ornano.

Team medals will be decided on Thursday evening following two more days of jumping after the opening speed class, with individual podium places not being filled until next Sunday.

Irish rider Bertram Allen, who only turned 19 early last month, topped the rankings from 143 starters on day one following a blistering clear round with Molly Malone V.

Allen, runner up in this year's prestigious Longines King George V Gold Cup at Hickstead, set the tone for his Ireland team-mates Darragh Kenny, Cameron Hanley and Denis Lynch.

After the opening flurries, Whitaker is 42nd, Brash 43rd, Clee 48th and Roe 64th, while Hanley is 23rd, Kenny 40th and Lynch 41st. Team-wise, Britain are 11th and Ireland seventh.

Roe, riding a horse owned by his mother Sally, made his Nations Cup debut earlier this season, a campaign that was highlighted by a double clear round during the pressure-filled Dublin finale when Britain were battling to avoid relegation from Europe Division One.

"I am extremely satisfied," Roe said. "It is unbelievable to do a clear round at my first World Games.

"If you told me a year ago I would be doing this, I wouldn't have believed you, and now I am here and he jumped unbelievably.

"My team-mates are very good at giving me advice. I walked the course with Michael (Whitaker) this morning. He has given me a hand and helped me out.

"It feels really surreal. As a young horse, I never thought he (Wonder Why) would be this good, but every time I have asked him to do something he's always gone one more and gone up the ranks."

Clee, a Yorkshireman who now lives in Belgium, joined Roe in taking impressive Nations Cup form into the World Games arena.

"I am really proud to be here - we've worked a long for it," he said.

"I've had the horse since he was five, and now to be here at one of the biggest events in the world and to be representing your country with these riders on the team, it's great. We are here, and we are here to do a job."

Scotsman Brash, one of the favourites for world individual gold, was frustrated to have one pole down, but the competition is currently in its infancy.

"To be fair, it was my fault (having the fence down)," Brash said.

"I was a touch too deep on the turn-back and he jumped up and touched the back rail, but he jumped very, very well and I'm happy.

"The lads have done a great job today - three clears is fantastic. The horses are all jumping good and riding good, so fingers crossed."

Great Britain team boss Rob Hoekstra added: "We have started well. I am pleased with the way things are going.

"It's early days and there is a lot of jumping ahead."

World title glory would complete a team clean sweep for British showjumping, but it has not been done since 1978 when a British quartet of Caroline Bradley, David Broome, Malcolm Pyrah and Derek Ricketts triumphed in Aachen, Germany.