BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS: Riders from 13 countries are to take part in the world's most famous and most eagerly awaited three-day event, the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, which starts tomorrow, writes JANET PERRINS.

William Fox-Pitt is among the front runners for the coveted prize, but there are plenty of others who are desperate to win, including fellow Brit Pippa Funnell who is probably on a less experienced horse than normal for her, Ensign, but who can never be ruled out.

Mary King and European champion Zara Phillips, who has yet to compete at Badminton, are saving their best horses for the world championships in August.

Marlborough-based New Zealander Andrew Nicholson and Gatcombe-based Australian Andrew Hoy are among the high class international riders who will provide serious competition to the British riders.

But leading the stronger than ever European contingent and making her debut appearance at Badminton is the German Olympic team rider Ingrid Klimke, on her European bronze medal-winning horse Sleep Late.

A tougher and more technical cross country challenge seems to be the agreed verdict on this year's course.

It has 18 new fences or combinations and even the track is less familiar in places.

Course designer Hugh Thomas has however reverted to tradition and reversed the direction of the track after an unusual two years of running the same way Olympic gold medallist and winner of Badminton, Jane Holderness Roddam, who now runs the West Kington Stud locally and is chairman of the Badminton event charity this year, Riding for the Disabled, has walked the course with Thomas and says she believes it is tougher than last year.

She said: "It is a lovely course which requires tremendous accuracy and obedience. As there is no steeplechase some horses may not have had the edge taken off them by the time they reach the quarry at fence four, which demands the horse to be bold but really listening to the rider.

"As long as the horse is paying attention it should not be a great problem but with a very fresh horse it is a different matter."