A TOP-CLASS field of more than 400 competitors will descend on Wilton House this weekend for the 28th annual Wilton Horse Trials.

The prestigious event is held in the Palladian Bridge Field against the picturesque backdrop of the stately home's acres of parkland.

Among the international riders expected to take part this year are New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, Rodney Powell and British Olympic reserve rider Bumble Thomas.

The Princess Royal's daughter Zara Phillips, a regular at Wilton, who narrowly missed out on selection for the British Olympic team for Athens, is also likely to be in action.

Among the local stars looking for success close to home are the Journal's reigning Equestrian of the Year Vicky Brake and Landford-based Isabelle Taylor, fresh from her magnificent performance at Windsor Horse Trials last month.

Now fully recovered from a career-threatening back injury, she turned in a lifetime-best performance at Windsor, finishing second on her mount Flurry Knox V, ahead of British Olympic leading light William Fox-Pitt.

The Wilton competition gets under way with dressage at 8.30am on both days. Cross country begins later, with the first riders setting off at 10.30am.

The entrance fee is £5 per car.

Winterbourne Stoke rider Louisa Lockwood was delighted with last week's performance by her advanced mare Highley Sprung.

The horse took second place in the Open Intermediate class at Longleat Horse Trials - her first competition for 15 months, after missing the whole of the 2003 season through injury.

Louisa and Highley Sprung led the dressage with the lowest score of the day and maintained their lead with a faultless show jumping round.

Eight time penalties in the cross country set them back one place, but did not diminish Louisa's satisfaction with the stylish comeback.