EQUESTRIANISM: Athens target for Liz.

INTERNATIONAL disabled rider Liz Stone, from Bishops Itchington, will be training this week with an eye to selection for the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games.

Liz is among 10 riders on the British Paralympic Dressage squad, who will be undergoing one of their final training sessions at the Union Trust Equestrian Centre, near Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds on Wednesday.

The riders will receive training from award winning dressage coach Jane Goldsmith and British Dressage's Director of Coaching Ferdi Eilberg, keen for the British team to continue the dominant form they have shown over the past years which has seen them win World and Paralympic team golds.

Liz, 31, began her international career back in 1991, when she rode for Britain at the 1991 World Championships in Denmark and finished second in the individual freestyle competition.

She has since ridden for Britain at three more major championships, winning individual and team gold at the 1994 World Championships and team gold at the Sydney Paralympic Games.

After training she will go on to compete at the Moorselle International meeting in Belgium in May, after which the final team of four due to go to the Athens Paralympics in September will be announced. Three individual riders will also be traveling out to the Games, giving Liz a good chance of making the trip.

Coventry show jumper and trainer Ben Murphy continued his recent good run of form at Warwickshire College with a win in the venue's latest BSJA competition, at Moreton Morrell.

Ben was placed in all four of the senior classes on offer at the show jumping meeting, in a great display of consistency. Leicestershire based Dawn Foster was also in good form, dominating the Newcomers and 1.15m Open on her three rides.

Tom Restorick made the journey up from Swindon to claim both junior classes on offer.