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Old rivals Germany and Netherlands lead dressage

From Sports Illustrated • SI Images: Photos from the Games • Tim Layden: Jones down but certainly not out • Leigh Montville: Level the playing field • E.M. Swift: Romanian gymnast is the victim in a half-hearted war • Grant Wahl: U.S. men deserve kudos for inspiring run • Michael Farber: U.S.-Cuba face off in gold-medal game • Alex Wolff: Tennis -- Go Nathalie • Phil Taylor: Dream Team needs to wake up • SI For Women's Kelli Anderson: Berg keeps life in perspective after game-winner More Features • Day at a Glance: The name game • Wake-up Call: Tracking the day in sports • Viewers' Guide: Sept. 26 • Closer Look: Soccer -- Spanish defender claw Wolff • Quiz: Today's Tester Athletes • Just Checking In: U.S. softball pitcher Michele Smith • Head Games: U.S. hurdler Melissa Morrison • Head Games: American swimmer Kristy Kowal • Head Games: American swimmer Courtney Shealy • Head Games: U.S. hurdler Terrence Trammell Multimedia • Shots of the Day: Young Americans • Shots of the Day: Shots of the Day

SYDNEY, Sept 26 (AFP) - German triple gold medallist Isabell Werth held a narrow lead over arch-rival and world number one Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands Tuesday after the first phase of the Olympic dressage competition.

"I was really satisfied with our test," Werth said. "I was so concerned before I went in, I was tense with the weather and the stadium, I didn't know how to ride in it with the umbrellas and the crowds.

"But Gigolo (her horse) was in a very good mood, he was fighting for me."

Germany and the Netherlands were lying one-two in the team competition, ahead of the United States.

Australians Kristy Oatley-Nist and Rachael Downs also cantered into medal contention.

Oatley-Nist turned in one of her best rides to help put Australia in fourth.

An emotional and relieved Oatley-Nist, riding Wall Street in her first Olympics, said she was very happy with the mark of 68.16 per cent.

"My heart was in my mouth the whole time," Oatley-Nist said. "You don't know what mark you are going to get, it can go one way or the other way. You can feel you've had a fantastic ride and you can get a terrible mark."

Downs, still recovering from the flu which swept through the Olympic athletes village last week, scored a respectable 64.56 on her mare Aphrodite. The competitors ride as individuals and in teams during the two days of the Grand Prix. At the end of Wednesday's competition, medals for the teams will be decided.

The top 25 riders from the Grand Prix move into Saturday's Grand Prix Special individual dressage competition. Finally, the combined score of the Grand Prix and the Special qualifies the best 15 combinations for the Grand Prix Kur, a freestyle test to music.

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