THE ANNUAL Salperton Park Horse Trials take place on June 23-24 and will see more than 500 horse and rider combinations descend on the normally sleepy village of Salperton near Cheltenham.

Salperton has undergone a total overhaul for this year’s event with designer Mike Etherington-Smith revamping the popular course to test the many international riders competing at the event.

Competitors from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and the USA have entered the competition as well as top UK names such as Pippa Funnell, William Fox-Pitt, Mary King and Zara Phillips, the last three of whom will be competing ahead of their appearances at the Olympic Games in July.

Gates open at 8am on both Saturday and Sunday, with eventing going on until at least 5pm on both days.

THE first Audi International polo match of the season will see England play against the Commonwealth for the Golden Jubilee Cup at Beaufort Polo Club, near Tetbury, on June 16 as part of the Gloucestershire Festival of Polo.

England will be represented by: Mark Tomlinson (captain), Max Routledge, Nacho Gonzalez and Tom Morley. The Commonwealth side is Australian Robbie Archibald, South African duo Gareth Evans and Tom de Bruin plus England’s James Harper.

With eight such talented players on the pitch, the crowd is guaranteed a fast, exciting and competitive four-chukka match.

England will be hoping to reclaim the title this year having beaten a strong New Zealand team in 2011.

MEMBURY rider Laura Collett failed to build on her overnight dressage lead in the main event at Bramham Horse Trials over the weekend, but did take second place in the CCI*** U25 class on Noble Bestman, otherwise known as ‘Super Steve.’ Collett and Steve finished runner-up after a cracking cross country round which saw them lying in first overnight with just 2.5 time penalties added to their dressage score of 45.0.

Sadly, a rolled pole in the show jumping saw them slip down into second place behind French rider Astier Nicolas.