Riders from across the globe head to Houghton

Riders from across the globe will be heading for Houghton Hall this week to take part in the annual international horse trials.

Nineteen nations will be represented including Sweden, Finland, Russia, Hong Kong and Japan as well as the cream of British eventing.

Entries for the headline 'CICO three-star' class, which incorporates the only British leg of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup, are full and five teams look set to challenge the winner of the previous three years which was Germany.

World class athletes will be heading to Norfolk with the goal of winning this class, and ones to watch would have to be Laura Collett and Tina Cook. Laura has three entries including her talented Mr Bass who, along with Tina's Billy The Red and Calvino II, were due to contest Badminton before the spring's bad weather and a nasty fall for Tina put paid to those plans.

Crowd favourites Pippa Funnell, Ben Hobday and Nicola Wilson are also in the line-up. International medal winners include Australia's Andrew Hoy, New Zealand's Caroline Powell, Germany's Dirk Schrade and twice World Champion Kiwi, Blyth Tait.

Sponsored by Saracen Horse Feeds and running from May 24-27, Houghton International also plays host to the NAF British Eventing Under 21 Championships.

Running alongside the International event, there are also showjumping, combined training, dressage, arena eventing and pony club classes, as well as the popular Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse qualifiers.

For those less horse-orientated there will be 'have a go' dog agility hosted by EACH (East Anglia's Children's Hospices), Musketeer's charity for this year, children's entertainment, over 70 trade stands, food outlets, and a licenced bar.