A NORTH Yorkshire rider made a good start to the 2004 British Eventing season when she finished second in the top section to be held on the sport's opening weekend.

Nicola Tweddle, based at Morton on Swale, near Northallerton, was competing at the Isleham one-day event in Cambridgeshire, where her rivals included top international and Olympic riders.

She was among the entrants in the open intermediate section, the highest level of class at the busy event, and finished a whisker behind Shropshire-based international Polly Stockton.

The 26-year-old, who started her equestrian career with the Hurworth Hunt Pony Club, was riding the ten-year-old thoroughbred Highland Loch II for owners Mrs Anne Furness and Mrs Juliette Alers-Hankey.

She said: "I rode the horse two seasons ago when his owner, Juliette, was out of the saddle as she was pregnant.

"Then I got him back towards the end of last season and have continued riding him since. He's a spirited horse, but talented."

The pair pulled up the order from the opening dressage phase with one of the fastest cross-country rounds of the day.

They had one show jump down, with clear rounds proving hard to come by in this middle phase in the slightly holding ground, and would have led the section but for the four penalties this added to their overall score.

Nicola added: "Highland Loch was good in all three phases at Isleham.

"The cross-country course was testing in places, but rode well.

"The horse competed at the British Intermediate Championships at Gatcombe last year and the two star three-day event at Weston Park.

"This year I'm aiming him at the step higher three star Bramham three-day event in West Yorkshire this June."

Nicola is also aiming her other ride, Diable-au-Corps, at the popular Yorkshire event. Her other two rides, Master Couture and Skiver, are both "hopefully" being aimed at Britain's top three-day event, the four star Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, which take place at the end of April.

Nicola is no stranger to the great event, having first ridden there in 1999 with Mr Bumble. She twice finished in the top 30 at Badminton on this horse and rode him to tenth spot at Britain's other four star event, Burghley, in 1998.

She was also 27th at Badminton last year with Skiver, who jumped a great clear cross-country.

All Nicola's horses gain a grounding with the Bedale Hunt over the winter and she is currently supported by Termrim Construction.