MICHAEL Whitaker and Nick Skelton got their European Show Jumping

Championship campaign off to a flying start in Gijon, Spain, yesterday

and also raised Britain's team medal hopes.

Whitaker, on Midnight Madness, and his Everest team-mate Skelton, on

Dollar Girl, both achieved clear rounds in the opening leg to take third

and fourth places respectively in the individual competition.

Thanks to their efforts Britain were third behind Switzerland and

Germany in the team event before today's two-round deciding leg.

Germany's Franke Sloothaak justified his position as individual

favourite with the fastest clear on his brilliant mare San Patrignano

Weihaiwej.

He clocked 83.79 seconds to finish 1.16sec. ahead of Swiss rider Willi

Melliger (Quinta C) with Michael Whitaker a further 1.5 slower.

Skelton, riding the German-bred mare who failed him at last year's

Olympics, had an impressive clear over the long 14-fence course in 87.9.

Britain's other team riders, John Whitaker and newcomer Mark

Armstrong, fared less well. John Whitaker on Gammon -- replacement for

the withdrawn Milton -- had seven seconds to add for a fence down and

finished twentieth.

Armstrong, the 32-year-old new cap from Surrey, hit two fences with

his eight-year-old mare Corella and was in thirty-sixth place at the end

of a leg which became progressively more difficult because of rain.

Under the system which converts total time to points, Britain, on

9.15, are less than two points behind the leaders.

Michael Bullman, chairman of Britain's selectors was delighted by the

early showing of Michael Whitaker and Skelton, but commented: ''I think

the pressure got to Mark and Corella over what was a very long course

and the rain didn't help riders towards the end.''

Today's Nations Cup-style two-round competition will decide the team

title with the individual contest being settled on Sunday. Results:

Individual -- 1, San Patrignano Weihaiwej (F Sloothaak, Germany) 83.97

(0 points); 2, Quinta C (W Melliger, Switzerland), 85.13 (0.57); 3,

Everest Midnight Madness (M Whitaker, Britain) 86.63 (1.33); 4, Everest

Dollar Girl (N Skelton, Britain) 87.9 (1.96); 5, H Simon (Austria)

Apricot 87.97 (2.00); 6, L Berbaum (Germany) Almox Rush 88.09 (2.06).

Other British placings: 20, Everest Gammon (J Whitaker) 95.7 (5.86);

36, Corella (M Armstrong 114.73 (15.36).

Team positions after opening leg: 1, Switzerland 7.22 points; 2,

Germany 7.96; 3, Britain 9.15; 4, Holland 12.57; 5, France 13.88; 6,

Italy 17.47; 7, Belgium 18.66; 8, Austria 18.88; 9, Spain 21.02.