EMILY King took an early lead as the Blenheim International Horse Trials got under way yesterday.

The British rider picked up 35.4 penalty points aboard her horse, Brookleigh, on the opening day of the dressage.

William Fox-Pitt lies second and third with his charges Freddie Mac (38pts) and Seacookie (41.8).

The dressage continue today, with Princess Anne in attendance.

The cross-country stage takes place on Saturday, with the show jumping discipline bringing the event to a close on Sunday.

Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.