King looking regal

Mary King launched her sixth Olympics campaign in masterful fashion to keep Great Britain's eventing team on course for medal success.

King, at 51 the oldest female Team GB competitor, celebrated the 20th anniversary of her Games debut in Barcelona by thriving under pressure.

She was close to tears after being swept along on a tide of huge Union Jack-waving British support as 20,000 people packed Greenwich Park's main arena.

Imperial Cavalier's dressage test earned a score of 40.90 penalties - his best score at four-star level - that left an elated King in third spot.

Had it not been for a poor final flying change, King could easily have taken the overnight lead from German Ingrid Klimke and Butts Abraxxas.

But she provided comfortably the most memorable moments from a home perspective on day one of the equestrian competition, setting up Sunday's action when her British team-mates Zara Phillips, Tina Cook and William Fox-Pitt all make their entry.

Imperial Cavalier can easily be unsettled by large crowds, but King's audience responded to her magnificently when she rode into the arena with a finger pressed to her lips urging silence.

"The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic," King said.

"I am not usually tearful, but coming into the arena with the crowd so behind me and being so good at keeping quiet when I came in was amazing.

"I knew if they all cheered and roared, Imperial Cavalier would have exploded and I would have found it hard to ride the test.

"Although they were really behind me, they were also ever so well behaved and kept nice and quiet until the end.

"We made a couple of errors, especially that last flying change when I lost him and he ran a bit to the right which made the change late, but most of his work was really pleasing."

Improvement

Their score eclipsed Imperial Cavalier's previous best four-star dressage effort of 41.3 at Badminton in 2008, and King added: "I am chuffed to bits. He's got good movement, and the crowds love him."

Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz earlier produced a solid test which many observers felt deserved better than the 51.70 score it gained from a three-strong judging panel.

But with Wilson's strongest discipline, cross-country, to come on Monday, the British team could feel satisfied with their first day's work.

"There is a great challenge of horsemanship out there for us on Monday. I think it is going to be a test of speed, agility, control and power up the hills," King said.

"They are not huge fences, but the speed required will cause the mistakes.

"It is the sort of course you need to walk a lot because it is so twisty and turning."

Wilson, meanwhile, ended the day in 16th spot after thriving in an environment she did not expect to be part of just a few weeks ago.

The Yorkshire-based rider, despite winning world and European team gold medals during her career, was left out of Britain's initial London quintet, but then gained a call-up after Piggy French's intended Olympics horse DHI Topper W suffered an injury.

Emotional

"It was a bit unreal, and really quite emotional," Wilson said.

"I was very focused and concentrating on my preparation within the arena when everyone clapped and cheered. It was lovely.

"He stayed with me and was concentrated. It was mistake-free and the best test he could have done today.

"Being selected for the Games is obviously a dream come true, something I have dreamt of and worked for since my childhood days.

"But I have tried not to think about it too much, just stayed in my own little bubble."

Wilson said she was "very, very excited" about the cross-country test that now awaits, adding: "It's very hilly and twisting, as we expected, and I am looking forward to preparing him for the next stage of the event.

"My horse is very experienced and he knows what's happening next."

Day one of the dressage ended with reigning European champions Germany underlining their gold medal credentials as 44-year-old Klimke led the field on 39.30, with team-mate Dirk Schrade second.

Current world and European champion Michael Jung rides on Sunday, and given his proven dressage quality it is likely that Germany's three counting team scores after dressage will all be under 40.

And Australia also made their presence felt as Andrew Hoy, Sam Griffiths and Christopher Burton all finished in the top eight.

Aoife Clark, meanwhile, was the pick of Ireland's contenders, lying 12th with Master Crusoe, while Joseph Murphy (Electric Cruise) held 22nd spot and Michael Ryan (Ballylynch Adventure) 30th.

Much, though, can change in the cross-country and showjumping elements before medals are decided in team and individual competitions next Tuesday.