Former Defender Burghley champion Caroline Powell is not resting on her laurels as she embarks on another year at the iconic event.
The London 2012 Olympic medallist, who hails from New Zealand but now lives in Newmarket, won the three-day event back in 2010, and who also has victories at Badminton Horse Trials to her name, placed sixth on the opening day of dressage in Stamford.
And despite having already succeeded at the event, the 53-year-old is ready to climb to the top of the rankings once more.
"Each time you come here you're on a different horse, and there are different questions out there and it doesn't get any easier," she said.
"You still get the Saturday morning nerves and everything but it's nice to know that you have been around and you've done well before.
"And to come here on a horse that's a good jumper and is learning all the time, it is a real honour."
Powell and her 14-year-old gelding High Time scored 33.9 on the dressage phase during the opening day to sit sixth overall with plenty more competitors to come.
The famed Burghley cross-country course designed be Derek di Grazia comes on Saturday before the podium is decided on Sunday's showjumping test.
Powell and High Time finished eight on a score of 42.7 last year, having picked up 11.2-time faults in the cross-country phase but will be looking to remedy that and roll back the years to challenge for the top spot again in Stamford.
"He can act as though he's had sort of baked beans for lunch sometimes, and it'd be a bit hot," she said.
"But today he's just getting better, and easier, and nicer.
"He's a long way from being a finished product, but at the moment he's absolutely loving his work, and it's an absolute pleasure to be able to put work into him."
Defender Burghley Horse Trials (3-6 September 2026) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world's top equestrians
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