Ireland's George in top 20 as Australians take control

EQUESTRIAN SPORT / Badminton three-day event: Australia, bidding for a record fourth consecutive team gold in the Olympic three-day event at Athens this summer, got preparations off to a superb start by filling the top-three slots at Badminton after the first day of dressage yesterday.

Badminton debutante Megan Jones and the Irish sport horse Kirby Park Irish Hallmark made the first dent in the seemingly impregnable armour of the British squad, when relegating the reigning Mitsubishi Motors champion Pippa Funnell to the runner-up slot shortly after the lunch break.

Funnell, winner in both 2002 and last year, had taken the early advantage, but 27-year-old Jones slashed five marks off Funnell's target to establish a lead that she held till the close of play.

"The score wasn't what I was hoping for, I thought he'd get a better mark than that," said Jones after the test.

Together with her parents, Jones runs the Kirby Park stud, which stands two Irish sport horse stallions, and although the 13-year-old Irish Hallmark, has no official papers, he has Irish bloodlines and Jones hopes to get all the stud's Irish horses registered.

Jones had to sell five horses to fund her trip to Badminton and currently has no return flight booked, hoping that a detour to Athens might be on the cards before she returns home.

Matt Ryan, who pushed Funnell down another slot, is considerably more experienced at the top level, having won team and individual gold at Barcelona 1992 before adding a second team gold on home soil in Sydney four years ago.

He is bidding for another crack at the Olympic podium and believes he has the right brand of horsepower in the 12-year-old Bonza Puzzle, which moved to within two points of the leader shortly before last man in, compatriot Paul Tapner made it an Aussie one-two-three when riding Highpoint into third.

Ireland's Becky George, who had the unenviable task of following Megan Jones into the arena, gave it her best shot with the often volatile Wee Hot Toddy and, with a mark of 60.4, slotted into overnight 19th, some distance ahead of Virginia McGrath, whose 19-year-old gelding The Yellow Earl earned 67.2 for a share of 34th.

Mitsubishi Motors Badminton three-day event (placings after first day of dressage): 1 Australia's Kirby Park Irish Hallmark (M Jones), 42.0 penalties; 2 Australia's Bonza Puzzle (M Ryan), 44.0; 3 Australia's Highpoint (P Tapner), 44.8; 4 Britain's Viceroy II (P Funnell), 47.0; 5 Britain's The Psephologist (B Thomas), 48.6; 6 Britain's Moon Man (W Fox-Pitt), 49.0; Irish placings: 19 Wee Hot Toddy (B George), 60.4; equal 34 The Yellow Earl (V McGrath), 67.2.