Exclusive interview with Pippa Funnell

There aren’t many things on the ultimate equestrian bucket list that Pippa Funnell hasn’t achieved. From winning Olympic medals to running a successful breeding operation and writing a series of 18 children’s books – you name it, she’s done it. Life in the Funnell household today is as busy as ever, but we managed to catch up with Pippa to talk about her phenomenal career, what’s next for the eventing legend and how the relaunch of her books came about.

Looking back

Pippa’s glowing record is a testament to her incredible career as one of Britain’s best-ever eventers. However, her achievements don’t just start in the dressage arena and end at the cross-country finish line. In HM the Queen’s 2005 Birthday Honours, Pippa was appointed MBE for services to equestrian sport and, in 2003, became the first person to win the Rolex Grand Slam.

Pippa reflects, “That has got to be my proudest achievement to date. I’d put a lot of pressure on myself and the whole build-up to Burghley was tough. The first two legs [Kentucky and Badminton] were back to back, so I didn’t have time to think about it and my confidence was sky high. I felt like I was on a roll, but as Burghley approached, things weren’t going my way. I had a few falls and some horses picked up injuries, so I didn’t think I’d get to do the last leg. But that feeling when I knew I’d won… nothing could compare.”

What’s next?

Pippa rose to prominence when she was crowned European Young Rider Champion in 1987 and, since then, she’s not taken her foot off the pedal. After several decades of hard graft and determination, you’d think Pippa would opt for a quieter life, but she’s still looking ahead at what’s to come and things aren’t going to slow down any time soon.

“It’s very busy at The Billy Stud at the moment, as we’re planning for another auction in May. They’ve been really successful over the past few years, so I’m looking forward to that. We also have 96 horses in work at the stud and 28 at home, so it’s pretty constant!”

Although her perspective on life and goals have changed over the years, Pippa’s love for horses hasn’t faltered. “You never stop learning and that’s always fascinated me about horses, so my goals nowadays are with individuals,” she explains. “I have a horse in at the moment who’s tricky on the flat and will likely never be good enough to be competitive. I know that I’ll get just as much satisfaction from getting him to walk in a dressage test as I would leading after the dressage with Billy Walk On at Badminton! I’m less worried about getting to the top championships any more. As I’ve got older, I’ve realised I’m doing this because I’m passionate about it, not because I want to tick off the results.”

Read the full interview with Pippa Funnell in May Horse&Rider – get your copy today!