IN the programme it looked simple enough. And with a name like The Ice Pond the idea of some cooling water on a hot day wasn't too terrible.

But a handful of riders at the Chatsworth Nissan International Horse Trials came unstuck at jump 10 on a cross country course that would prove vital for some in the rankings of the equestrian elite.

Among them was the Queen's grand-daughter Zara Phillips, who joined her fellow Olympic riders for a photo call after the weekend's selection announcement and interviews with Chinese television ahead of this summer's Olympic Games in China.

The daughter of Princess Anne spoke confidently of Team GB's chances in Hong Kong, where the equestrian disciplines will take place.

"I am really looking forward to going," said the 26-year-old royal, who will ride her 15-year-old Toytown. "We have got a fantastic team and a good set of horses. We are going to have to prepare for the heat but hopefully together we can pull it off. We want to win medals."

The team also includes two riders from the Athens silver medal side, Mary King and William Fox-Pitt, plus two making their team debuts, Lucy Wiegersma and Sharon Hunt.

Mary, victor in last year's Chatsworth World Cup qualifiers, revealed a key aspect of how they will ready the horses for the soaring temperatures in south China - by getting them to gallop in fleece rugs.

"Chatsworth is an important event but we still have to prepare for the humidity," said the 46-year-old, who has won four team gold medals at the World Equestrian Games and European Championships and been British champion four times. This will be her fifth Olympic games. "I'm a greedy girl," she quipped.

Crowds of around 25,000 were estimated to have watched the medal hopefuls in action during two days of top-end show jumping, cross country and dressage in the grounds of beautiful Chatsworth House.

With temperatures approaching 80 degrees the weather was in stark contrast to the previous two years when heavy rain threatened to turn more than The Ice Pond and Nissan Qashquai Splash into water jumps.

Spokeswoman Winnie Murphy said the Saturday half of the 10th annual horse trails was the busiest yet.

"The past two years have been very wet so the numbers have been very good this year," she said.

Many held their breath or gasped as hooves clipped the likes of Fibresand Flowerbox, Peppers Puzzle and Derbyshire Life Leap, challenging jumps on a revered course in which Secret Picnic, Miners Frolic, The Secret Weapon and other four-legged 'athletes' had to have
more than simply a good name.

They were among a strong list of World Cup entries that included animals and riders from as far as New Zealand and Australia in one of the key fixtures in the eventing calendar.

Away from the world class competition birds of prey, owls and fire-jumping ponies vied for attention while ferret racing brought its own source of drama - and laughs.

Along with more tackle and equipment tents than you could shake a riding crop at this was one Chatsworth trials meet they will be talking
about for a while yet.

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