 | OLYMPIA HIGHLIGHTS 14 December: World Cup Dressage 15 December: World Cup Dressage 16 December: The Shelley Ashman, BEIB & Equine Risk Welcome Speed Stakes; The Clarion Christmas Stakes 17 December: The Accenture Puissance 18 December: The Christmas Masters 19 December: Show jumping World Cup qualifier 20 December: The Six Bar; The London 2012 Olympia Grand Prix |
A host of the world's leading riders will compete for honours at this week's London International Horse Show. Britain's Carl Hester and Ferdi Eilberg head the home charge in the Dressage World Cup qualifier, which begins on Tuesday and concludes on Wednesday.
Many of show jumping's elite will also be in action over six days of action.
World number one Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum heads a star-studded entry which also includes GB Olympians Robert Smith and Nick Skelton.
It is the first time the equestrian event, now in its 98th year, will have staged a dressage World Cup qualifier.
But Hester, who partners Olympic mount Escapado, and Eilberg will have their work cut out to claim the inaugural title.
The class has attracted a high-calibre 22-strong field and includes five-time Olympian Kyra Kyrkland, of Finland, Sydney gold medallist Isabell Werth, of Germany and Athens bronze medallist Beatriz Ferrer-Salat, of Spain.
The show jumping classes get underway with Thursday's speed stakes (1300 GMT) and will feature a wealth of home-grown talent, including four members of the famous Whitaker family lead by brothers John and Michael.
The jumpers' blue ribbon event - the World Cup qualifier - takes place on Sunday (1430GMT) and will also be covered live by BBC2's Sunday Grandstand.
Other major classes include Friday's Accenture Puissance (2100GMT) and Saturday's Masters (1515 GMT) - highlights of which will also be shown on Sunday Grandstand.
BBC Interactive will also cover Saturday afternoon's sell-out performance live.
MMIX
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