SIR Mark Todd is expecting a different experience at Barbury Horse Trials this year when he makes the short journey from his Badgerstown home on Thursday.

The six-time New Zealand Olympian eventer, who is based in Wanborough on the edge of Swindon, will be riding Leonidas II, in the third leg of the Event Rider Masters.

The series, which is a new concept for 2016, is still in its infancy but Todd is already seeing the impact it is having on the sport.

The event, which has been streamed online up until now, will be shown on TV for the first time and with all the riders giving it more attention, Todd believes it will give Barbury a new edge.

“I think Barbury will have a different feel to it this year,” he told the Adver.

“I think Event Rider Masters is a huge boost to the sport in that it is finally giving our sport a global audience.

“We have had two legs already and it is the first year that we have done it. There were a few technical problems with the first one, it got better with the second and the third one they are introducing more technology in the presentation so we are hoping it is all going to go smoothly.

“It is probably not the best year to introduce it with the fact it is an Olympic year and a lot of the best riders will be focusing on their Olympic preparation and these competitions maybe don’t fit into that.

“It has been hugely welcomed within the sport and I think it is only going to get bigger and that can only be a great thing for us.”

Todd came third on Leonidas II, one of his horses selected for the Olympic Games next month, and with fellow Kiwi Andrew Nicholson retiring Avebury, the winner of the last four titles at Barbury, the 60-year-old believes it is anyone’s for the taking this year.

“We were up there for a photoshoot the other day and they have done a whole new course and it is a fantastic venue, it is one of the best viewing venues of any competition in the world and they are pulling out all the stops,” he added.

“The competition is wide open with no Avebury to try and beat but I am sure Andrew will have something else there that will be equally hard to beat.

“It will be a tough competition, it is always hard to win there.”