Zara Phillips' Olympic debut went according to plan as the London 2012 eventing competition continued.
Phillips impresses on board High Kingdom in Greenwich
Zara Phillips's Olympic debut went according to plan on Sunday as the London 2012 eventing competition continued at Greenwich Park.
Watched from the main arena stands by her mother the Princess Royal and grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh, Phillips put in a solid display on High Kingdom.
Phillips and her Great Britain eventing team-mates hold third place in the team competition after dressage.
The British quintet are 7.9 penalties behind leaders and gold medal favourites Germany and 4.9 adrift of Australia, with Sweden and New Zealand tied for fourth.
Germany-based Japanese rider Yoshiaki Oiwa is the shock overnight individual leader on a score of 38.10. Italian Stefano Brecciaroli is second and 56-year-old New Zealander Mark Todd, who is chasing his third Olympic title, lies one place behind.
Mary King and Imperial Cavalier remain the highest-placed British combination in 12th. Tona Cook and Miners Frolic are 14th, William Fox-Pitt (Lionheart) equal 17th, Phillips (High Kingdom) equal 24th and Nicola Wilson (Opposition Buzz) equal 39th.
Happy
Phillips's previous Olympic hopes in 2004 and 2008 were dashed by injury to her world championship-winning horse Toytown.
"It was incredible to be selected, and to be here at home for the Olympics is an amazing feeling. You try to do your best for the team," she said.
"It was probably his second big test after Burghley last year. His first change was disappointing, but his other ones were really good.
"But he coped with all the crowd, and he is only getting better. He is very chilled and getting stronger all the time."
Phillips will next be seen in Monday afternoon's cross-country phase, and she added: "He is a good jumper and cross-country is his strongest phase.
"He is quite quick and easy to turn, so it will hopefully be good.
"I think he wants to get out there now. He's a bit bored of dressage!"
Cook was faced with torrential rain, thunder and a threat of lightning during her dressage test.
Sweden's Niklas Lindback - the next competitor after Cook - was delayed for 10 minutes by ground jury president Anne-Mette Binder as conditions deteriorated.
But New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, the world number two, blasted the weather hold as an "absolute disgrace" and claimed that decision had affected his preparations.
Cook coped superbly with the elements, though, as her score of 42 penalties kept Britain firmly in the mix for medals.
Attention now turns to course designer Sue Benson's 28-obstacle cross-country track through the hilly and twisting terrain of Greenwich Park on Monday, and it promises to have a considerable effect on where medals - team and individual - will end up.
Weather
"I have been eventing for 20-odd years and you do get this type of weather thrown at you," Cook said.
"Unfortunately, we can't stop the competition and say 'I don't want to do it now'.
"At the Olympic Games, you hope you are not going to have rain, thunder and lightning thrown at you, but I did and I had to deal with it. We live up on the South Downs in Sussex getting blown away.
"We just hope it doesn't rain too much tomorrow because it will be very slippery around those corners on the cross-country course.
"The horses do have studs in their shoes, but if horses are slipping then you will just have to steady around some of the corners, so therefore time faults will rack up.
"I think the time (10 minutes, three seconds) will be tough to get, and the riders are all aware of that.
"I think the time is gettable, but less so if we get rain because with there being so many turns you will just have to be a bit cautious in places.
"It will be fast, furious and exciting, anyway."
The rain held off for Fox-Pitt to complete the British dressage rounds, with Lionheart's strong cross-country and showjumping sections now to come.
"He's 10-years-old and this is his first big championship. I am absolutely thrilled with him," world number one Fox-Pitt said.
"He's hopefully going to come into his own in the next few days and that is why he's here. He was never selected on the dressage phase, and he's produced a personal best score (44.10) today."
