A HEREFORDSHIRE eventer will compete against some of the top riders in the country at the Seven-year-old World Championships in France.

Alice Pearson will ride Jack the Ginger at the event that will take place in Le Lion D'Angers from October 19 to 22.

Other riders who will compete include olympians William Fox-Pitt and Gemma Tattersall.

"Jack was sent to me to school as a five-year-old by Caroline Queen to produce for her teenage son Henry, who enjoyed Pony Club camp with the North Herefordshire Hunt for a couple of years," said Pearson, who has previously competed at Badminton and Burghley and was named Best British Rider at the Junior European Championships in 2005.

"He has shown so much promise so far by winning a novice as a five-year-old, having some strong placings at intermediate level as a six-year-old and earlier this month, won the Open Intermediate at Gatcombe International Horse Trials. "That was against some of the best horses in the world, therefore justifying his selection for the World Young Horse Championships.

"It's a huge team effort with many people involved including the farrier, physios, dentist, trainers, sponsors, my parents John and Sally Pearson, my boyfriend and photographer Sam Smith and Laura Wright, who is my full time groom."