Great Somerford's Beanie Sturgis is hoping her horse Monarch's Rock will have overcome the problems he suffered at the tail end of the 2007 season at this week's Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

The four star 3 day event, held over the Duke of Beaufort's beautiful South Gloucestershire parkland, is the most esteemed in the equestrian world and for the majority of riders the chance of competing there is the stuff of dreams.

Beanie, 34, will be riding Monarch's Rock there for the first time, following on the 20th place the pair claimed at Britain's other four star event, Burghley, last autumn.

"Monarch's Rock had some breathing problems at Burghley and had to undergo a big wind operation over the winter," Beanie, who went clear and inisde the time cross country at Badminton with Duel in 2006, explained. "He's now much better and should be able to get a good time cross country. Dressage is difficult for him as he gets tense but I'm hoping a half decent test will put us in with a chance."

Julia Crowson, the Rutland born rider who is now based in the Marlborough yard of her boyfried, Italian eventer Alberto Giugni, will partner Jakata. The pair were orginally 38th on the Badminton wait list and only heard they'd get a run last week.

"It will be the first Badminton for both of us - I've tried several times before but always been ballotted out," commented the 33 year old. "Now it's close I'm trying not to get too excited but it is a major landmark in any rider's career."

Jakata competed at the four star Burghley event last autumn but did not show his best form and was found to have cracked a bone in his left hind pastern afterwards.

"It was only a tiny crack that didn't show up at first - he never went lame but must have felt it on the hard ground," said Julia. "Now he's back on form and Lucinda Fredericks, the 2007 Badminton winner, has been training us -I can't believe how much Jakata has improved with her help."

One rider disappointed to be on the sidelines is Lower Stanton St. Quinton's Tristram Owers. The leg he broke in an eventing fall in March has, perhaps not surprisingly, failed to mend in time.

"I just missed getting a place at Badminton last year by one point - this time I've been accepted and can't ride," said a disappointed Tristram, who had been due to ride Gentle George. "I had been due to have the bolt taken out of my leg when the cast came off last week but the hospital ran out of operating space and couldn't do it. The break was annoying - a horse I was riding at Tweseldown slipped up on the flat and landed on my leg."

19 year old Darren Hicks is currently riding Tristram's team of horses and is certainly being kept busy - he rode ten horses at the recent Hambleden one day event where his results included a second on The Quarry Man.

"He's ridden more horses and done more events over the past few weeks than in his entire life - it's certainly been a baptism of fire," Tristram added.

----------------------------------- Shipton Moyne 23 year old Louisa Brassey, who has just missed her debut at Badminton with Bruce Rock after making it to number four on the wait list, made up in part for her disappointment last weekend.

The pair scored a great win at the Withington Manor one day event near Cheltenham, where they led a strong Open Intermediate section from start to finish.

"Bruce Rock started with a lovely dressage test, scoring 25.2 and being 4% ahead of the rest," said Louisa. "He's 14 now and very established at this level."

The pair then jumped a fine double clear to finish just over three marks ahead of triple Olympic gold medallist Matt Ryan, with Foxham Under 21 European team champion Georgie Spence in third on Skylight.

"The cross country course was lovely - a forward, flowing track but technical in places," added Louisa. "Bruce Rock will now go to the 3 star international at Chatsworth in two weeks time."

Louisa was also "really thrilled" with the eight year old Fergals Flight, who finished 7th in an Intermediate section at Withington.

"Fergals Flight is a very nice horse who had hunted in his younger days but had then got a bit of a reputation for bucking people off," Louisa commented. "His present owner Ian Clark bought him, got him going and evented him but a lack of time means he's handed the ride to me. He'll do the Houghton Hall 3 day event in Norfolk later in May."

Andrew Nicholson and Paul Tapner, who will both be strong fancies at Badminton on their top rides, were fourth and sixth in an Advanced section on Epic and Tiger Flynne. Andrew also headed a Novice section on the six year old Shady Grey who has finished in the top six in all six of his 2008 runs to date.

Others going well at Novice level were Malmesbury's Polly Williamson, second on 2 0C and Pewsey's Fiona Hobby, second on Fun Time Frankie and 7th on Bright Side.

--------------------------------------- Warminster Saddle Club organisers were very pleased' with the turnout for their trial evening show jumping competition at Oxendene.

"Despite weather forecasts it did not rain and people made a huge effort to get to us after work," said Club secretary Amanda Levine. "I even had one person phone to say they had just got off the train from London but would be there as soon as possible. Several of the children in the first class had not competed before with us but seemed to really enjoy themselves."

Stephanie Higgins won the opening class on Miss Plum, with Westbury's Emily Miller, placed in all three of the evening's classes, second on the consistent Tomas.

Bradford on Avon's Louise Oldall topped Class 2 on Megan, with Dilton Marsh rider Alexis Symes, a member of the Wylye Valley Pony Club, filling second and third spots. Louise was also third in Class 3 behind fellow Bradford on Avon rider Fiona Perrett and Westbury's Annica Lavis.

The Saddle Club also staged clear round cross country and show jumping last weekend, which was very busy' and had competitors queuing from 10.30am until they took the last entry for the cross country at 3.05pm.

"In all we had over 60 rounds on the cross country course and over 60 for the show jumping," Amanda added. "It was a great result for us and 48 rosettes were awarded in total."

The Club's next date is a Horse Trials on the 18th May, with another clear round cross country and show jumping day the following week. The course will be available for hire between those dates - visit www.warminstersaddleclub.com for details. Evening show jumping results : Upsalls Class 1 : 1)Miss Plum, Stephanie Higgins 2)Tomas, Emily Miller 3)Forlan High Hopes, Jake Coward 4)Crossway Calvary, Jasmine Sadler Upsalls Class 2 : 1)Megan, Louise Oldall 2)& 3)Minty & Barnaby, Alexis Symes 4)Marley III, Stacey Martin 5)Tomas 6)Ace, Fiona Perrett Upsalls Class 3 : 1)Ace 2)Bryn, Annica Lavis 3)Megan 4)May Deane, Mary Corrie 5)Marley III 6)Tomas.