Pippa Funnell

Pippa Funnell MBE is a hugely popular event rider, an Olympic medallist and the first winner of the Rolex Grand Slam.

What championships has Pippa ridden at?

Pippa has been a member of the British team at three Olympic Games where she has won two team silvers and an individual bronze medal. She made her Olympic debut with team silver at the 2000 Games in Sydney on Supreme Rock. In 2004, in Athens, she took team silver and individual bronze on Primmore’s Pride. She also rode at the 2016 Rio Games on Billy The Biz.

She was also the back to back winner of the individual title at the European Eventing Championships in 1999 and 2001 riding Supreme Rock. She has won five other European medals t00 – team gold in 1999, 2001 and 2003, individual bronze in 2003 (Walk On Star), team silver in 2015 (Sandman 7) and team silver in 2019 (Majas Hope).

She has also collected team bronze at the World Equestrian Games, in 2002 riding Supreme Rock.

Pippa also rode as an individual at the 2010 World Equestrian Games on Redesigned, finishing fifth.

Has Pippa won at five-star?

Yes. Pippa has won Badminton Horse Trials three times (in 2002 and 2003 with Supreme Rock and in 2005 with Primmore’s Pride) and Burghley Horse Trials twice (in 2003 on Primmore’s Pride and 2019 on MGH Grafton Street). She also won the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2003 with Primmore’s Pride.

Pippa’s three five-star wins in 2003 made her the first winner of the Rolex Grand Slam, the big-money prize given to any event rider who can consecutively win the world’s three leading five-stars at Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky.

Her Burghley win in 2019 landed her the Horserail Moment of the Year accolade at that year’s Horse & Hound Awards, in partnership with NAF.

Is Pippa Funnell married?

Yes, Pippa’s husband is the top British showjumper William Funnell.

The couple run The Billy Stud in Surrey, along with Donal Barnwell, and through that breed and produce top showjumpers and eventers.

Billy The Biz was the first horse bred by The Billy Stud to compete at the Olympics when Pippa and the grey were called up from the reserve bench to go to Rio in 2016.

Doesn’t Pippa showjump as well?

Pippa showjumps at a high level as well as eventing. Her successes over the coloured poles include second place in the prestigious Queen’s Cup at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead in 2018 riding Billy Congo.

Does Pippa Funnell write books?

Yes, Pippa has written a series of children’s books called Tilly’s Pony Tails and Tilly’s Horse Magic.

Pippa has also been involved with a number of video games, including Take The Reins, Saddle Up With Pippa Funnell, Ranch Rescue and The Stud Farm Inheritance.

Pippa has also written an autobiography, in which she discusses her struggles to overcome nerves to compete at the highest level and how sports psychology helped her. She was one of the first top riders to talk openly about the value of sports psychology in the sport.