Equestrianism: Top riders close in as Hunt takes narrow lead

Sharon Hunt held a narrow lead when the dressage phase of the Novice Championship was completed at the Doubleprint Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park yesterday, but there could be a major reshuffling of the order after the competitors have tackled today's big cross-country track.

Hunt, 24, was riding her seven-year-old bay gelding Good Sport II with whom she won two novice classes before finishing fifth in an intermediate. But neither she nor Gordon Murphy, who is just one penalty point behind her on Alitis, need to be told that there are some top international riders not far behind. They include three members of the Great Britain squad who will be competing in next month's World Equestrian Games in Spain – Pippa Funnell on Matter Of Fact, Polly Stockton on Oarsman and Leslie Law on Last Angel – who are among those in equal seventh place.

The size of the cross-country course has alarmed many of the riders, especially those on inexperienced horses. According to Captain Mark Phillips, who designed the course, the fences are "technically very straightforward". They are also, he says, of proper intermediate size – with fences up to the maximum height of 3ft 9in. It will nevertheless be a bigger track than many of the less experienced horses have seen before.

Funnell, whose Matter Of Fact is only a six-year-old, will pull her mount up today if she feels that he is out of his depth. Anne-Marie Taylor, another of those in equal seventh on Sunrise Safari, was one of the few who positively liked the cross-country course when she walked it yesterday. "It's big, bold and straightforward, which is much better than small and trappy," she said.

FESTIVAL OF BRITISH EVENTING (Gatcombe Park, Gloucester): Novice Championship (after dressage phase): 1 Good Sport II (S Hunt, GB) 25 penalties; 2 Alitis (G Murphy, GB) 26; 3= Swang Ryan (M Ryan, Aus) and Mr Micawber (N Tweddle, GB) 27.