Equestrian: Field produces best ever in dressage

Kallista Field produced the ride of her life at Sydney's Olympic Games on Tuesday to pick up her best ever dressage score on her mare Waikare.

Field, 22, New Zealand's first ever dressage rider, scored 66.42 percent and now has a good chance of qualifying in the top 25 riders who contest the Grand Prix special on Friday.

The exuberant Pahiatua rider was swamped with well-wishers after she finished her test, with world champion eventer Blyth Tait and New Zealand showjumpers Bruce Goodin and Peter Breakwell among her fans.

And the strong Australian crowd gave her a rousing reception as she left the Horsley park arena.

A delighted Field said she was simply "happy" at nailing her first Olympics dressage test.

"When I got on this morning she was really good. She's been doing it so long she just knows.

"She's just in a good mood, and I'm quite good under pressure. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't."

Field was provisionally second with her score of 66.44 percent, with just a handful of riders having completed their tests.

Field must wait until tomorrow afternoon and the end of the first dressage competition to see if she qualifies in the top 25.

After the Grand Prix special on Friday, the top 12 dressage riders will contest the Kur, riding to music, to determine the medals.

Field's previous best score had been just over 65 percent, when she qualified New Zealand for a dressage berth at the Olympics, and she had known she would need at least 66 percent to have a chance of making the top 25.

- NZPA