BROADWAY'S Tristam Owers fared best of the local hopes at the Blenheim International three-day event in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

The 25-year-old finished 18th in a world-class field on Blenheim first-timer Classic Touch II, moving up from 54th place after dressage.

The 15.3hh bay is owned by Gemma Hill, who has ridden the horse herself in the past but has been out of action for some time following a fall last season.

"Classic Touch is a really good little horse but dressage is not his strongest phase as he gets tense," said Tristam's fiance Connie Villani who also events.

"He is a cross country jumping machine though and went clear inside the time which is what Tristam had been hoping for. The course was very good and the recent rain helped the going."

The pair then had two fences down in the final show jumping phase, where only ten horses in the top 30 jumped clear, to slip from a possible 8th spot.

"Tristam was very disappointed with the show jumping -- the horse just breathed on the fences he had down," Villani added.

"The fences were big and he's only little but he was very unlucky. He'll have a break now and will hopefully be aimed at Badminton next year."

Owers will be competing at the Necarne Castle three-day event in Ireland this weekend on the 16.2hh bay Hunters Legend.

Upton-on-Severn based Olympic gold medallist Leslie Law was out of luck this time, finishing 42nd after a stop cross country on Fox on the Run.

The event was won by Law's Olympic team-mate Pippa Funnell on Viceroy II.