From a royal visit to a training ground for Olympic pentathletes and their horses, Charles Sturt University's (CSU) internationally acclaimed equine centre is again the centre of attention.

Now the Australian elite eventing squad will begin training at the much-publicised facility, following an agreement between the University and the Wagga Wagga Horse Trial and Hunt Club.

Set among Wagga Wagga Campus' picturesque landscape, the CSU Equine Centre is one of the largest indoor arenas in Australia and was high on the agenda for the Duke of Edinburgh during his 2000 tour of the city.

The equine centre-trained showjumping horses were also declared "the best ever" by the world governing body of modern pentathlon, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Modern (UIPM), following the successful staging of the 1999 Modern Pentathlon World Cup final.

Last week, a five-year agreement was signed by CSU Vice-Chancellor Cliff Blake and Vice-President of the Wagga Wagga Horse Trials and Hunt Club, Dennis O'Brien, which will give the club access to the indoor and outdoor areas at the University's Equine Centre and its cross-country course.

Club publicity officer and CSU accounting student Shannon O'Brien said the Australian coach for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Wayne Roycroft, will bring the Australian team's elite squad, which includes CSU students Olivia Bunn and Katherine Davies, to Wagga Wagga several times a year for training. The first clinic is scheduled for the weekend of 29 and 30 May, and will be conducted by assistant national coach, Heath Ryan.

The first major event to be staged at CSU will be a national two-day competition on October 20 and 21 with up to 300 competitors. The CSU facilities may also be used for regional and state eventing championships. Mr O'Brien said the agreement was a tremendous boost, not only for the club but also for eventing Australia-wide.