FOUR riders from the region are competing in the Burghley Pedigree Horse Trials this weekend, this year's only European four-star event.

Foot-and-mouth forced the cancellation of Badminton trials in the spring and left competitors with few chances to run - and spectators with no opportunity to see the Sydney Olympians in action - until now.

Burghley has accepted all-comers, with the result that the dressage phase of the event had to start on Wednesday in order to fit everyone in. The organisers have accepted 147 entries from 11 nations, including 21 entries from the US, of whom Olympic Individual Gold Medallist, David O'Connor, is topping the list.

Nicola Tweddle, from Morton-on-Swale, near Northallerton, who has had a top ten place at the Lincolnshire event, has taken Mr Bumble back to face this year's toughest test. And Carole Dennis, from Thirsk, 29th last year on Beckett II, will be hoping for a higher placing after completing Burghley in 1998 and 1999 and Badminton last year.

Jamie Atkinson, from Langley Park, near Durham, has two in the list - Babiole Du Cochet and Colonel Mellish and four-times Olympic rider Karen Dixon, from Whorlton, near Barnard Castle, is riding The Honourable Bob.

More than ten per cent of the riders are competing at Burghley for the first time and are up against the most seasoned campaigners, such as Bruce Davidson (US), Ian Stark (GBR) and Blyth Tait (NZL). And, despite the proximity in the calendar of the European Championships at Pau, in France, in the middle of October, all the top European names will be at the event, not least because of the lure of course designer Mike Tucker's "true four-star track" for the cross country phase on Saturday.

Burghley will also be the first chance to see the proposed new Olympic format in action, which will mean two rounds of showjumping on Sunday.