Tina Gifford has vowed to carry on three-day eventing despite the tragic death of Jemima Johnson.

The 29-year-old European champion from Findon goes into the Badminton Horse Trials, which begin tomorrow, remembering her friend. Johnson became the sixth eventer in a year to be killed following a competition accident at Wilmslow, Cheshire, on Saturday.

Tina was at the same event 48 hours later and set off for Badminton, the Wimbledon of eventing, from home yesterday afternoon with a heavy heart. She felt the show must go on.

"Of course what happened to Jemima makes you think about it (carrying on)," she said yesterday. I'm devastated, Jemima was a friend. I knew her well. She was respected. Jemima was a very good rider.

The number of fatalities has sparked calls for more safety measures, like making fences easier, less emphasis on time and extra head and body protection. But Tina believes danger is inherent in her chosen sport.

She said: "Safety measures have been going on for six or seven years. The course designers have been working to make the events more horse friendly. But there's only so much you can do in the end.

Tina will ride General Jock and The Solicitor at Badminton. She said: "They'll be a strange atmosphere. All of us knew Jemima. They'll be some sad faces."

But Tina is hoping to win the most famous eventing meeting of them all. She said: "It's the biggest competition for my sport alongside the Olympics and I've been close to winning it a few times, knocking on the door. I've finished fifth, sixth, seventh and tenth."

General Jock has a wealth of experience but The Solicitor is an unknown quantity. Tina, daughter of leading trainer Josh, said: "It's the first time I'll be on The Solicitor at Badminton. I only started riding him last year. It depends how he copes with the pressure.

Badminton begins with the dressage tomorrow followed by the cross country and showjumping.