Equestrianism: Quittet's pass with honours

EMMANUEL QUITTET, the director of a French equestrian centre, holds the advantage in the international section of the Brittany Ferries Three-Day Event in Windsor Great Park. The result at the end of the dressage phase came as no surprise to the 34-year-old Frenchman since his chestnut mount, Narcisse II, invariably produces a good test. Today's cross-country course of 28 fences will be the sternest the horse has tackled.

Mary Thomson, the overnight leader on King Basil, is lying second - ahead of Sweden's Peder Fredericsson and Ian Stark. Pippa Nolan moved into fifth place yesterday with Becky Coffey's home-bred mare, Merry Gambler, who is competing in her first three-day event. Karen Dixon, who had the best British place when sixth at last year's Olympics, was here to watch her head girl and pupil, Penny Sangster, take the lead in the National Section. Dixon was also groom for her mare, Witches Holt.

Though aged 10 on her official papers, Sangster said that 'two teeth men and a vet' have insisted that Witches Holt is only an eight-year-old. That is no handicap now, but the rider feels she might have pushed the mare on a little too quickly at the start of her eventing career.

Nigel Lynn, 17, returned home on the overnight ferry on Monday after winning the junior section of the Punchestown Three-Day Event on Ruckley's Best. Yesterday he took the lead for the Junior Championship on the eight-year-old, Sydney James. If Lynn leads after today's cross-country, he will study tomorrow's show jumping course with care. Last year, in Germany, he was heading for an individual silver medal in the Junior European Championships until taking the wrong course for elimination.

BRITTANY FERRIES THREE-DAY EVENT (Windsor Great Park): Standings after dressage: International section: 1 Narcisse II (E Quittet, Fr) 49.0; 2 King Basil (M Thomson, GB) 51.2; 3 Soldier Mic (P Fredericsson, Swe) 54.0; 4 Dear Hardy (I Stark, GB) 54.8; 5 Merry Gambler (P Nolan, GB) 55.2. National section: 1 Witches Holt (P Sangster) 52.4; 2 Aston Minstrel (S Edwards) 53.4; 3 Bramley (L Barnett) 54.2. Junior championship: 1 Sydney James (N Lynn) 43.4; 2 Grey Knight (N Browne) 49.0; 3 Tom Cat II (A Broad) 49.4.