Equestrian: Unbeaten record on the line

The New Zealand three-day event team are happy with the "challenging but fair" cross-country course for the Adelaide international horse trials.

The two-yearly transtasman challenge against Australia will form part of the Adelaide programme and will be run for the first time at four-star level, the highest in eventing.

Manawatu rider Andrew Scott, who will be on board Say What, has competed at four-star level at Badminton and Burghley in Britain, but Adelaide will be a big step up for the rest of the New Zealand contingent, who are looking to defend an unbeaten transtasman record going back to 1985.

Auckland's Kate Lambie on Alibi, Stephanie Cameron-Miller of Waikato on Huntcliffe Marshall and Taranaki's Matthew Grayling on Revo will be Scott's team-mates.

The team are coached by double Olympic champion Mark Todd.

The riders yesterday walked the course for the cross-country stage.

For New Zealand, the Adelaide trials are the first stage of the build-up to next year's world championships in Spain and the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Dressage starts today and continues tomorrow, with the cross-country on Saturday and showjumping on Sunday.

Other New Zealanders are competing as individuals.

- NZPA