Eventing star Phil Brown is hoping home comforts can spur him on to be a best ever finish when he returns to the Defender Burghley Horse Trials for a second year this week.

Brown, 36, made his 5* debut at the fabled Lincolnshire event last year as he finished 27th with horse Harry Robinson.

While the notorious terrain proved daunting, it was at least familiar surroundings for Brown, who was based in Stamford, which sits next door in the shadow of the 16th-century Burghley House.

The Scarborough native has since returned home to Yorkshire to be closer to family but is confident not having the event on his doorstep will in no way hamper any hopes of beating last year’s score.

“There is a little bit more distance to all the events and fewer schooling places around but equally I have got more hands-on support from family back home,” explained Brown, speaking ahead of action getting underway on Thursday.

“I have got a lot of friends that are down here, so it is nice to be back in the area. Driving down the A1 gives you goosebumps because you know what is coming.

“It would be nice to improve a little bit on last year. We finished just outside the top half by maybe one place so it would be lovely to do that.

“The icing on the cake would be Badminton qualification, that would be amazing, but equally you never know what is going to happen at a 5* so we are just going to put one foot in front of the other and do the best we can.”

Brown and Robinson secured a personal best dressage score last year before a clear run in the cross-country was hampered only by time penalties.

A few faults in the show jumping could not dispel the positivity from completing the course, an impressive feat in itself with 21 competitors falling on the infamously difficult cross-country section.

And having given particular focus to that leg of the three-day competition last time out, Brown is confident that the pair will be better prepared this year having stashed the experience from last year’s maiden appearance.

He added: “My debut was amazing, and it probably went as well as it probably could have gone for me.

“Last year there was a level of naivety to it, you just come with no expectations and just want to take each day as it comes.

“It’s a different feeling in that we know what is coming but equally I just feel very lucky to have a second go at it. I just want to try and enjoy it as much as possible and hopefully we can improve a little bit on last year.

“Last year I came into it saying my priority was that the horse had to be really fit, even if that meant I paid for it a bit in the dressage.

“I knew it would be tough but we did get him fit enough and we come into this year knowing that system works, so we have a bit more confidence that he will stay.

“I know that the horse can stay the distance and a confidence that he and I can do the level.”

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (31st August - 3 September 2023) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world’s top equestrians and over 170,000 visitors. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk