THIS weekend's Badminton Horse Trials have been cancelled due to the weather.

The course is severely waterlogged and with further rain scheduled, organisers were left with no option but to call the event off.

That means the likes of Highworth's Paul Tapner and Membury's Laura Collett, alongside a host of other Wiltshire stars, will not compete.

Badminton was due to start on Thursday and finish on Monday.

A statement on the event's official website said: "The recent exceptional rainfall has left the ground at Badminton totally waterlogged and partially flooded.

"Further rain is due this week leaving no chance of the ground drying out.

"Very sadly therefore the 2012 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials has been cancelled."

Collett registered her disappointment on Twitter, revealing: "I have 2 horses that are the fittest they've ever been, in the best form they've ever been in, sat in their stables with no party to go to!"