11:30am Thursday 2nd September 2010
LAURA Collett confirmed her reputation as one of British eventing's brightest prospects by taking an early lead in the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials today.
The 21-year-old, who is based near Marlborough, delivered an outstanding dressage test on Ginger May Killinghurst.
The combination collected 47 penalties - a score bettered by just six riders at Burghley last year - to open a clear advantage.
Collett, a former European junior and young rider champion, is competing in her first four-star event.
But she showed no sign of nerves, setting the pace after a calm and assured performance put her seven penalties ahead of second-placed Andrew Nicholson.
New Zealander Nicholson won Burghley in 1995 and 2000, and he is among the favourites for a £50,000 top prize through the twin challenge of Armada and Avebury.
He will lead Avebury into the dressage arena tomorrow, while Armada's score of 54 is likely to leave him handily-placed among a 76-strong field.
Two other early starters - Louise Skelton (Party Pickled) and Lauren Shannon (Quixotic) - also posted totals in the mid-50s, but the competition looked set to hot up with three ex-Burghley champions waiting to make a mark.
William Fox-Pitt, who is bidding for a record sixth Burghley title this year, begins his quest aboard the Argentine-bred Macchiato today, along with Mary King (Apache Sauce) and Pippa Funnell (Mirage D'Elle).
COLLETT is one of several athletes to produce a video diary discussing insights into their training, event type, ambitions and challenges over the next coming two years leading up to the London 2012 Olympics. See it online at youtube.com/user/PanasonicUK#p/u/7/eS5TOGL8yWw
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