WILTSHIRE-BASED eventer Holly Woodhead seized the lead in the FEI European Championships after the opening day of dresage competition in Scotland today.

Youngster Woodhead, who is based at Coate in Swindon, guided DHI Lupison to the top of the standings with a score of 31.70, just ahead of Germany's individual Olympic champion Michael Jung.

Woodhead said: "I'm absolutely overwhelmed and really, really excited.

"I knew he could go well but I didn't realise I was going to get that kind of score, especially as there are so many good horses here and riders. To even have been in the top 10, I'd have been happy with that.

"To go straight into the lead, I can't thank him (DHI Lupison) enough.

"The last words I heard in my head when I was cantering in were from my amazing groom, Alex Van Tuyll, and she said ‘go nail it’. That’s what I had in my head the whole way round.”

Ahead of her cross-country run on Saturday, she added: “I’m just going to try to do my best and hopefully he’ll have his jumping shoes on. He’s fit enough to gallop up those hills and tackle those hills.”

“It’s my first time here so I’m really excited. He’s suited to the bigger, gallop courses so hopefully he’ll be fit enough and fly around.''

She is one of 12 British horse and rider combinations competing at Blair Castle in Perth and despite not making Britain's four-strong line-up for the team event, is competing individually.

On a good day for the host nation, five of their riders filled the top 10 places, with half of the 66-strong field having complete dressage tests.

Kitty King, who is based at Lower Stanton St Quintin near Chippenham, went into fifth place with Persimmon with a score of 36.90. King is one of the quartet of British riders taking part in the team event.

King, who first represented Great Britain on a senior team at Blenheim in 2005, said of Persimmon: “He was fantastic, he tried his heart out for me and was really on side, he really let me ride him through the entire test.

"He got a bit tight before his last change and we missed that which was a shame but that was the only time he got a bit tight against me otherwise he was really listening and working well for me.”

Nicola Wilson and One Too Many were two places ahead in third, with Lambourn-based Laura Collett and Grand Manoeuvre in sixth, one place ahead of Sarah Bullimore and Lilly Corinne.

The remaining 33 riders complete their dressage tests tomorrow.