BERMUDA'S riders who recently returned from the World Dressage Championships for the Disabled in Belgium saw first hand the benefits of UK lottery money.

Riders Kirsty Anderson and Sandy Mitchell, along with chef d'equipe Ann Lindroth, joined the Bermuda team's UK coach Carol Green to fly the flag for the island at the championships and Anderson said: "The standard is getting tougher and tougher - just like all sports.

"And you could really see how the benefits of the lottery money is helping - especially the UK team who are funded by lottery money. Their horses were Grand Prix calibre and because of the lottery money all their riders are pretty much full-time competitors now."

Anderson, a 31-year-old accountant for Scottish Re, said: "The lottery money is really going to change the direction the sport is going. For many of the English riders it is their full-time job. They are paid to ride top-class horses. And the British really cleaned up at these World Championships. I think it is going to become a sport where the heavily funded countries are going to come out on top."

Asked if she would like to see a lottery in Bermuda, Anderson said: "When you see the benefits that sport in general in England have received from the lottery you can see that it would definitely be a pro for it. You can see that something postive can come out of a lottery."

Lindroth said: "There is no doubt that with the lottery money these riders can afford to compete full time - and their horses are excellent. And I have seen lottery money also used to really help those disabled riders in the United States as well. And money from a lottery wouldn't have to go just to sports but other things as well."

Lindroth is friends with the former Mayor of Atlantic City, Jim Whelan, and his wife Cathy. "The reason I know them is that Cathy is a disabled rider who has competed for the United States national team. I have stayed with them and Mr. Whelan explained that the Atlantic City lottery money went to help the seniors and disabled of New Jersey and that they were very well served by that lottery money.

"So without going into the rights and wrongs of having a lottery in Bermuda, I have seen the money be put to very good use."

Of the Worlds, Anderson said: "It was a great competition and it was great that we had our own horses this time."

In past competitions the riders had to use borrowed horses which took a while getting used to. Before going to Belgium, both Mitchell and Anderson went for some last-minute hard training for a week with coach Carol Green who has a farm in Wales. They both took their horses to Belgium - in Anderson's case it was a strong mare called Higham Fanfare while Mitchell took Sir Oliver IV. Both horses had been trained regularly by Green in Wales.

ANDERSON said: "I was at Carol's farm (in Wales) and rode twice a day preparing for the championships. The standard at the Worlds was very high in my group - it was definitely an elite group in my grade. I think I realise that I have to put in more work - you only get out what you put in.

"But many of the riders, especially from Britain, compete and ride full time and it can be hard to compete with that. I think that if I had spent two weeks training at Carol's farm I would have done a lot better because I felt I was really improving during the championships - my scores were going up by about five per cent each day which is quite significant for me. In the end I achieved my personal best score."

Out of the 40 top riders, Anderson went from 37th, to 33rd to 31st.

"The standard was incredibly high," she said.

Mitchell, who was riding in the section for the most disabled riders, came out in sixth place.

"He did very, very well," said Anderson.

Lindroth added: "Sandy really rode very well - to come sixth in the world in his class is quite an achievement."

Now both Anderson and Mitchell are setting their sights on the Paralympics in Greece next year. For Anderson, it will be her third Olympics.

"It is something to look forward to - something to work for although the 2004 Paralympics will be my last," she said.

Unlike many of the other riders at the Worlds and Paralympics who ride full time, Anderson knows that she cannot afford to do so.

"My job is demanding. Scottish Re were very generous in giving me time off to go to the World Championships but in the end this is my hobby - I can't afford to do it full time which you really need to do if you are going to stay with the rising standard the sport is setting every year."

But she will try to put in at least two weeks with coach Green in Wales before going to Greece.

"I think that will be a good idea and then I will try and put as much time in riding here in Bermuda on Ann's horse (Central Carolina)."