With 22 riders making up the largest foreign contingent to ever compete at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, it was no surprise that the European delegation made a strong showing yesterday, the first day of dressage. Tim Lips of the Netherlands grabbed first place, riding Concrex Oncarlos to the score of 42.0. British riders Oliver Townend, on Carousel Quest (45.2), and William Fox-Pitt, on Navigator (46.7), settled for second and third.

Jolie Sexson, of Martinez, Calif., claimed fourth place on Killian O’Connor (47.3), and Corinne Ashton, of Princeton, Mass., claimed fifth place on Dobbin (47.7).

The remaining 26 horses will perform their dressage tests today, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and ending 4:22 p.m.

Lips, 23, had never been to the United States before, although he and Concrex Oncarlos finished 21st at the 2008 Olympics. “I thought that if he was relaxed today, he would do a really good job,” said Lips, who’s been training in dressage with Olympic gold medalist Anky van Grunsven, also from the Netherlands, for the last year