HIGHWORTH-based Paul Tapner will be hoping not to see red this week as he prepares for the Badminton Horse Trials.

The Australian, who is renowned for wearing a red helmet and matching vest and top, will ride a relative novice at four-star level in the form of Vanir Kamira.

The mare has only ridden once before at this level, a 34th-placed finish at Burghley Horse Trials last September, but Tapner is hoping for an improved performance this time out.

“We’re feeling really good,” he told the Adver.

“The horse is on good form and hopefully, I would like to think she is just peaking on time and it should be a good competition.

“It’s only her second four-star event so she is new to this level but she did do very well at Burghley last year at her first one, so she is well and truly up to the challenge.

“Hopefully, she will be a bit more competitive at Badminton than she was at Burghley last year.

“She is a very good cross country horse, so I am certainly looking forward to Saturday.

“The dressage training is hopefully peaking just at the right time and we will see what happens.

“The course looks plenty tough enough, which is what we want for her, so she should be able to be competitive with a good cross country round. It is going to be a hot competition.”

Before the dressage stage starts tomorrow, Tapner will be hoping to already have a win under his belt.

The trot up, where the horses are inspected by the vets, has become a bit of a fashion parade in recent years and 40-year-old Aussie is keen to be best dressed.

“Indeed, I am looking forward to that,” he added.

“I have picked up a new sponsor on that side with Claudio Lugli Couture. I am all kitted out in their gear this year, so I should hopefully be winning the fashion stakes.

“There is not much red this year, but I will have my red socks as usual and my red shoelaces.”