By Bryn Palmer, Sydney

Veteran horsewoman Mary King believes it is high time Britain ended their equestrian medal drought as she prepares to lead a strong line-up in the individual three-day event starting on Wednesday.

With Britain currently in a promising position going into the final stages of the team event, King is in upbeat mood as she embarks on her third Olympics campaign, alongside the equally experienced Karen Dixon and Ian Stark.

The latter pair were both part of the quartet that took team silver in Seoul in 1988, when Stark also took individual silver on Sir Wattie, but the last two Games have been dogged by mishaps and misfortune from a British perspective.

"We desperately need to win a medal," admitted the 39-year-old King, who will ride the in-form Star Appeal, on which she won Badminton earlier this year.

"The equestrian side of the Olympics is very expensive and we have received a lot of funding from our national body and the Lottery, so it has cost a lot of time and money to get us out here.

"We need to repay them with some success but I do feel we are due for some as a nation. The Australians and the New Zealanders in particular are very strong but we have a very experienced team and I think we have got as good a chance as any of them. We just need the luck on the day."

Dixon, 36, will ride Too Smart, while Stark is likely to take the third spot on his second mount, Arakai.

After her recent success though, King is hoping her 15-year-old horse Star Appeal maintains his form in the biggest competition of all.

"He is the old man of the group but he is an in-form horse and he is a very consistent performer," she added.

"If we did what we did at Badminton, we will have a chance of a medal."