LORNA Wright takes on the challenge of the Windsor International Horse Trials this week, where she will be among riders from more than 10 countries due to take part.

The Fairfield-based rider will be competing at the two star three-day event, held over HM The Queen's glorious Berkshire Deer Park, with the mare Sundance Polly.

Wright is not looking for a top place at the event, as Sundance Polly has only recently returned to competition after problems, but is just glad the horse is back in action.

"We're not over optimistic about Polly's chances as she's had a year off," Wright explained. "She had a thermograph which showed two real areas of trouble and then had physiotherapy at Avon Vale Equine Clinic to get her back to fitness. She's a bit bubbly in the dressage phase at the moment, as she hasn't had many outings, but is a good cross-country horse."

The pair have competed in a couple of one-day events at Open Intermediate level on the run-up to Windsor and picked up lower placings, including one at Osberton.

Wright has gone well at Windsor in the past, finishing 14th in the Junior Championships on Little Bruno a few years ago and 10th last year on Golding's Miriam and also headed the Young Event Show Jumpers final at the renowned event.

Joining her at Windsor will be Abbots Moreton rider Carolyne Ryan-Bell, who returned to competition this year after a crashing fall last summer.

Ryan-Bell smashed her elbow and collarbone and had to be pinned and wired back into place, but looks to be riding well this year.

She will partner Manhattan, from whom she suffered the fall, for owner Cheri Matthews. The duo was enjoying a great season in 2001 before the bone-crunching fall, with the horse moving from novice to intermediate in just eight runs and the 16.3hh gelding looks a good prospect.

Wright was in good form last weekend at the Chepstow International Horse Trials over the Welsh border, where the going was deep after heavy rain. She finished third in the top section at the event, the one Star CC1 three-day event on the mare Sweet Jemima, who she rides for Emily Timmis. The pair performed consistently thr-oughout, with just 10 cross country time penalties and one jump down, over a track which saw few clear rounds.

It was one of the last outings for the duo, as Sweet Jemima returns to Emily in a month's time, after she has finished her finals at Christchurch, Oxford.

Tim Randle, the veterinary surgeon whose family home is near Kidderminster, finished fifth in the novice two day event at Chepstow, on Mary's Little Lamb. Upton-on-Severn's Josephine Challens was eighth in the other two day event section on Traveller and would have finished a few places higher but for two show-jumps down.