Last years runners-up Tim Price and Vitali head the Defender Burghley Horse Trials field at lunchtime on Friday after receiving a mark of 23.1 for their rideable and relaxed dressage test.Hes super. Hes a class dressage horse, and he has got all the ingredients for a really hot test, said Tim. Its funny, because sometimes hes been quite unrideable and scores really well, sometimes hes been really rideable and scores not so well, and vice versa, so its a little bit down to what the judges are looking for on the day.But from my point of view, rideability, super, relaxation, lovely. Just a great partnership on display. He went through all the motions other than one movement where he thought he was going to halt on the centre line or do a poo or something. The rest was spot on what I was looking for.Tim, who won the title here in 2018 with Ringwood Sky Boy, and Vitali hold the record Burghley dressage score of 18.7, a feat they produced in 2022.Vitali is a 15-year-old gelding who is owned by Joseph and Alex Giannamore.Podium changesOvernight leaders, Piggy March and MCS Maverick, have dropped to second, while Alexander Bragg and Ardeo Premier now sit in third.Tom Crisp and Dassett Rock Star, the 11-year-old gelding owned by Eve Mayes, Izzy Mayes and Louise Nash, were another pair to upset the business end of the leaderboard on Friday morning after they produced a test for 28.5 to slot them into fourth.I knew we could do it and Ive been working hard at home with Sune [Hansen] at Spring Hill Dressage. Hes helped me a lot just to be a bit more confident and really go for it, said Tom. If you make a mistake, you make a mistake, but I think youre better off setting off thinking you can go for it and make mistake than be a bit too careful, which is what Ive been guilty of for a few years. This horse is very capable of doing a good test and today it came together, so were really, really chuffed.He was just with me the whole way, kept his head in the game, nailed all of his changes, and its so easy just to miss one of them and then thats a mark gone, isnt it? Were very rarely at this end of the leaderboard after dressage. It feels a bit strange, but I can get used to it.The pair completed Badminton earlier this year in 51st position.Other new additions to the leaderboard after the Friday morning session were Max Warburton riding Deerpairc Revelry, who scored 29.1 for sixth, Katie Magee with Treworra, seventh on 29.3, and Laura Collett aboard Bling, who received a mark of 30.2 and sit ninth.Top 10 after dressage (at Friday lunchtime)The standings at the end of the dressage phase are:Tim Priceand Vitali on 23.1 penaltiesPiggy Marchand MCS Maverick, 25.7 penaltiesAlexander Braggand Ardeo Premier, 28.4Tom Crispand Dassett Rock Star, 28.5Will Rawlinand Ballycoog Breaker Boy, 28.8Max Warburtonand Deerpairc Revelry, 29.1Katie Mageeand Treworra, 29.3David Doeland Gallileo Nieuwmoed, 29.6Laura Collettand Bling, 30.2Harry Meadeand Cavalier Crystal, 30.5View the full overnight leaderboard hereImages by Tim WilkinsonRelated contentUS journalism student based with Ros Canter is youngest rider in Burghley fieldBurghley top 10 in pictures: Piggy March leads the way with new rideProperty director and cheap ex-racehorse make their CCI5* debutA very special horse: from unbacked five-year-old with a teenage rider to five-star formMeet the Burghley first-timer on a quirky mare who dislikes large crowds and refuses flatwork lessonsThe post Price pilots Vitali to top of dressage leaderboard on Friday morning appeared first on Your Horse.