New Zealand's Andrew Nicholson on Nereo and Jock Paget on Clifton Promise are first and second respectively after the opening day of dressage at the Badminton horse trials.
Forty of the 81 riders put their mounts through the test of calmness and precision at the annual four-star three-day event .
Nicholson has seven four-star eventing titles but has never won Badminton in a record 33 attempts. He conceded 37.8 penalty points to lead Paget by 3.4 with German Niklas Bschorer third a further 0.9 penalties back.
"It's the smoothest test he's done from start to finish," Nicholson said of his 14-year-old chestnut gelding. "He's good at letting you be quite bold to press him for the maximum. Today it felt like it flowed and it was good to see the judges felt the same.
"I've got a relationship with him. I fully understand how he likes to work. [In the dressage arena] he's not worried by people or noise."
