WORLD number one William Fox-Pitt will spearhead the British challenge in next months London 2012 test event.
The Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational a CIC two-star competition takes place from July 4-6.
Fox-Pitt, twice an Olympic team medalist and individual runner-up at last years World Equestrian Games, will be joined by Pippa Funnell and Piggy French.
Funnell, a three-time Badminton winner who took individual bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and is a double team silver medalist, will be aboard Billy Shannon.
And French, European Championship runner-up in 2009 and second at Badminton less than two months ago, rides DHI Topper W. Fox-Pitt, meanwhile, will ride Gaucho.
Riders from 20 nations are set to tackle dressage, cross-country and showjumping tests over three days of competition, with Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France and Italy among those countries represented.
'The equestrian test event is always an important part of the preparation of Team GBR in the build-up to an Olympic Games, said Yogi Breisner, British Eventings world class performance manager.
While it will give all the athletes a feel for this brand new venue, more importantly it is about helping the organisers, staff and volunteers prepare for next year.
And world-class performance director Will Connell added: The Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational is a milestone on the road to the London 2012 Games for both equestrian Team GBR and the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG).
We will be using the event to learn as much as possible about the venue, as well as to test our world-class programme London 2012 Plan.
The findings will provide constructive feedback to LOCOG to help them deliver a truly memorable Games next year which puts equestrian in a city centre location.
We are fortunate to have three experienced and talented riders competing, whose responses will be essential to the post equestrian test event analysis.
Great Britains eventers are strong London medal contenders, with the team currently holding European and world crowns. They defend their European title in Luhmuhlen, Germany later this summer.
And their medal bid will pan out across the 180-acre Greenwich Park, home to the Royal Observatory, the Royal Naval College and the National Maritime Museum, which hosts its first eventing competition in just three weeks time.
Sourced from: http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/sport/localsport/9091772.Testing_times_for_Fox_Pitt/