I SUPPOSE it's some reflection of our international diversity these days, but Worcestershire's hopes of success at next week's Japanese sponsored Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials rest on an Irishman riding a French horse owned by a couple who live on the Isle of Man.

Austin O'Connor, originally from County Cork, will be tackling one of the most formidable cross-country courses in the world on Hobby Du Mee, a 16.2hh chestnut gelding belonging to Eddie and Sue Davies from Balasalla.

After spending a couple of years in the late 1990s based at the farm of former showjumper Mike Cresswell at Bradley Green, between Hanbury and Redditch, Austin moved to Lincomb Equestrian, near Stourport on Severn in 2001, where he has 20 boxes containing everything from youngsters to break to star of the show Hobby.

It won't be the first time he's driven his horsebox down the pretty winding Cotswold lanes to the majestic estate of the Duke of Beaufort, where the eventing world's cognoscentti gather for four days of ultimate competition, but it will be the first for ages.

His one and only previous visit to Badminton was in 1999, when he was at Bradley Green, and he did pretty well, finishing fourth on Simply Rhett, his warrior companion in his early days. For the same horse carried him around Burghley, Punchestown, Bramham and Llumuhlen.

He was chosen for the Irish three-day event team for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, finishing a creditable 17th on Horseware Fabio.

The same horse-rider combination appeared in the Irish squad for the 2003 European Championships, but since then, success at the very top level has eluded him, mainly due to the lack of horsepower or injuries at vital times. So he has devoted the intervening years to building up his operation at Lincomb and using his natural talent for bringing on young horses, schooling difficult ones and helping other riders.

"Finding a Badminton horse is not easy," Austin said. "They are a rare commodity and need to have something special about them. Hobby Du Mee has competed in France, but with varying success. I have always thought he was a very good horse and you just needed to find the key to him.

"Since I started riding him last year I've been very impressed. Put it this way, I'd not swap him for anything around Badminton."

The pair ended last season with sixth place at the Kreuth three-day event in Germany and started this year on the good foot by finishing fourth in a very strong advanced section at Witton Castle one day event in County Durham in March.

"In this game you never know what's round the corner, but fingers crossed, Hobby De Mee will be fit for Badminton," he said. "At least, that's the plan."

Thirty-two-year-old Austin was first placed on a Shetland pony at the age of two. In 1994 he came to England to further his riding career and spent several years in Cornwall before moving up to Mike Cresswell's farm. "Mike was real help with the showjumping," he said. "I learnt a lot from him."

The competition he faces at Badminton is formidable.

Reigning world and European three-day event champion, Zara Phillips has entered her medal-winning ride Toytown and leads a field that includes last year's winner, Andrew Hoy with Moonfleet (and Master Monarch) and the previous two champions, William Fox-Pitt and Tamarillo (with Ballincoola and Idalgo) and Pippa Funnell, this time with Ensign. The other previous winner competing is Mary King with a choice of three rides, Call Again Cavalier, Cashel Bay and Apache Sauce. Riders may only start two of their entered horses.

Andrew and William are the current world number one and two and also entered is the number three, Clayton Fredericks with two entries, Nullabor and WP in Limbo. Clayton was individual silver medallist at the world championships and is one of the three world cup winners, along with Sweden's Linda Algotsson and France's Nicolas Touzaint coming to Badminton. Of an initial record entry of nearly 150, the 100 to make the cut include riders from 14 nations, including Sam Albert from Jamaica and Yoshiaki Oiwa from Japan. With slightly less far to travel are Leominster vet James Robinson and Louise Skelton from Eardisley, Herefordshire.

Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials at Badminton, between Stroud and Bath, runs from Thursday, May 3 to Sunday, May 6. Car passes are £10 on each day with admission being £11 each on Thursday and Friday, £22 on Saturday and £9 on Sunday. Children aged 12 and under are free.