Michael Jung now leads in Kentucky ©FEI

Triple Olympic champion Michael Jung has taken over the lead at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event after his cross-country display.

The German is now in top spot at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington after American Clark Montgomery led after the opening day's dressage yesterday.

Riding FischerRocana FST, Jung finished four seconds over the optimum time of 11min 16sec with 1.6 time penalties and survived a precarious moment when his mare made a big leap into the lake.

However, Jung now has a fence in hand to record a third successive Kentucky victory on the same horse.

He has 38.7 points at the summit of the leaderboard, with France's Maxime Livio now second on Qalao Des Mers after a round which saw him finish on the optimum time.

Maxime Livio is now second in the standings ©Getty Images
Maxime Livio is now second in the standings ©Getty Images

Livio sits on 44.6 points with Britain's Zara Tindall and High Kingdom third on 46.6.

"Today was not our best ride, but we have a true partnership and kept fighting," said Jung, the Olympic individual eventing champion at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. 

"FischerRocana looks very well after the finish - she is a tough girl."

Montgomery and Loughan Glen lost their chance of retaining top spot after a refusal on the course.

The event, the third leg of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Classics season, will conclude with jumping tomorrow.