Todd impresses on first day at Badminton

Mark Todd has made a strong start in his quest for a fifth title at the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials in England.

Two-time Olympic champion Kiwi equestrian Todd is fifth after the opening day of dressage. Champion at the prestigious threeday event in 1980, 1994, 1996 and 2011, the 61-year-old recorded an impressive 42.9 penalty points aboard Leonidas II.

The tally placed Todd just 4.2 points behind day one leader Thibault Vallette of France, with German pair Bettina Hoy and Michael Jung, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion, completing the top three.

Todd, who is also competing on NZB Campino at the event, said he was pleased with what was Leonidas’ best dressage score at Badminton.

‘‘He didn’t put a foot wrong all day. I’m maybe slightly disappointed with the mark but we will wait and see what everybody else gets.

‘‘He’s in very good form and it probably helped him going early today. He was fairly relaxed in there but he is 13 now, he’s finally growing up ... I couldn’t have asked for him to go any better.’’

Jesse Campbell was the best of the three other New Zealand riders in action on the opening day collecting 49.9 penalty points on Kaapachino to be 21st.

Three-time Olympic medallist Andrew Nicholson was 32nd on Qwanza and Daniel Jocelyn on Dassett Cool Touch was 35th.

Caroline Powell (Onwards and Upwards), Blyth Tait (Bear Necessity V) and Tim Price (Xavier Faer) were to get their campaigns under way overnight.

While there is no major world events this year, Todd had hoped a pleasing performance at Badminton would serve him well leading into the other British showpiece four star event, the Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire from August 31 to September 3.