Shropshire's Oliver Townend looking to turn the tide for Britain

There has been only one home winner since 2005 and a record Badminton first prize of £80,000 is on offer over the next four days. Dressage tests run today and tomorrow for an 80-plus field assembled from 14 countries.

Townend, from Dudleston Heath, near Ellesmere, won the title in 2009 and he is joined by a strong British contingent led by newly-installed world No.1 William Fox-Pitt, plus Olympians Mary King, Tina Cook and Nicola Wilson.

The bookmakers are predicting a two-way tussle for glory between Fox-Pitt and Wiltshire-based New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, and Townend, who triumphed on Flint Curtis five years ago, is a 14-1 chance.

He rides Nicholson's former four-star challenger Armada. They warmed up for Badminton by winning the Burnham Market three-star last month.

"You need an awful lot to go right for you in these big competitions," said Townend.

"It is definitely a higher level than anything else. I think it is going to be a serious, serious Badminton.

"Without doubt, if you are not in the top 10 after dressage, you are not going to win, generally.

"Everyone is getting better and better all the time, especially with the amount of training that goes on and also the quality of horse-power. The standard of horse-power is just getting higher and higher.

"Obviously, we are going to be going for it. In all three phases at Burnham Market, he felt as good as have I ever had him. That was our last run, so hopefully I will keep that in mind and it will be kept in his mind."

Townend and Armada made light work of the Badminton cross-country course off a number one draw last year, being among 20 combinations that jumped clear inside the optimum time.

Competitors will face a new-look course on Saturday designed by Italian Giuseppe Della Chiesa, who has taken over that key role from Hugh Thomas and introduced fresh challenges, including a new water complex and a re-creation of the famous Vicarage Vee fence.

"I hear there are a lot of big changes on the course. I hear it is going to be very impressive and back to how it used to be in a lot of ways," Townend, 31, added.

"It is difficult to say with a horse like Armada. He made it feel ridiculously straightforward last year, but at the same time Badminton is Badminton, and anything can happen.

"It did feel a straightforward course (12 months ago), but I don't think we are going to be going there expecting the same this year."

Townend, twice a European gold medal-winning British team member, has not attracted the selectors' interest since 2009 - the year he won Badminton and Burghley - and there are many followers of the sport who believe he deserves a recall, either for August's World Equestrian Games or 2015 Europeans at Blair Castle in Scotland.

"Who knows?" he said.

"We will just keep our heads down and keep producing the results we are producing. It is is up to them (selectors) whether they pick the phone up or not."