New Zealand's top eventing riders will begin their final bid for Olympic Games selection over the next few weeks, starting with the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials in England later tonight.

Caroline Powell with Lenamore and Mac MacDonald, Annabel Wigley and Black Drum, and Emily Butcher and Southern Ben are three of eventing's Olympic Games short-listed riders and horses who will be looking to impress the selectors as they line up in the first major competition of the UK eventing season.

The up-and-coming New Zealand-based Emily Butcher has been in the UK since mid-March and will be competing in her first Badminton.

Of the six, four-star events on the international calendar, the tradition-steeped Badminton is the most well known and revered among riders.

For another of the younger brigade Badminton presents UK-based Annabel Wigley the opportunity to get her own back after being forced to retire on the cross-country for safety reasons after being clear to that stage in last year's event.

The constantly-improving Caroline Powell also UK based, finished 12th at Badminton last year and will be looking to seal a place in this year's Olympic team after making her international debut as part of the New Zealand eventing team at the 2006 World Equestrian Games.

Other New Zealand riders appearing at Badminton hoping to add their horses to the eventing Olympic shortlist with good performances include Andrew Nicholson, Joe Meyer and Dan Jocelyn. Nicholson and Meyer are both named on the eventing shortlist with other horses who are not competing this weekend.

The dressage phase of the three-day event at Badminton will be held on Friday and Saturday followed by the cross country on Sunday and the showjumping phase on Monday.

New Zealand's top riders will be competing in a series of events in the UK and France over the coming weeks as they press their claims for selection in the five-strong Olympic eventing competition team set to be named in late June.