A TALENTED horsewoman from the Aire Valley is hoping for glory at the prestigious Burghley Horse Trials when she competes against the best in the world at the start of next month.

Charlotte Brear will be riding Siren, a big dark bay who she has had since he was a foal and who recently took her to 16th place in the British Eventing Open Championships at Gatcombe Park.

"His proper name is Manor Missile, but his stable name is Siren and at first I had him on loan, but then my parents bought him for me as a 21st birthday present," said Miss Brear, 27.

The 17.1h is a cross between a Shire horse and a racing thoroughbred and she said he combines the best of their qualities

However his size turns the intricate moves of dressage into a tougher than normal test.

"Because he's so big, he can cross the arena in half as many steps as most horses, which makes it a bit tricky to control him, especially as I'm quite small at 5ft 4ins," Miss Brear said.

The former Bradford Grammar School student from East Morton now works in Leeds at the family-owned car gearbox repair business run by her parents, Stephen and Barbara Brear.

She said every spare minute was spent travelling to or taking part in horse riding events.