On the eve of cross-country day, Pippa Funnell and Primmore’s Pride lead from Andrew Hoy after the second day of dressage
The second day of dressage at the Masterfoods Burghley Horse Trials has produced a new leader on the eve of cross-country day.
Pippa Funnell, who has not won this event before, her best result being fourth on two occasions, has taken a 1.8 lead over Andrew Hoy.
After a disappointing test with her first horse, Cornerman, who blew up and is now languishing in 37th place, she produced an assured display on the smooth-moving Primmore’s Pride.
Owned by Denise Lincoln and Metier Consulting, the nine-year-old by Mark Todd’s stallion Mayhill out of a Badminton-placed mare has led a blameless career.
Primmore’s Pride won the Burghley Young Event Horse Championship and the Young Horse World Championships as a seven-year-old at Le Lion d’Angers.
He has been fourth at Blenheim, runner-up at Punchestown and second at Gatcombe and makes his four-star debut.
Otherwise the top end of the leaderboard is little changed, apart from the arrival of Polly Stockton in fifth on Mary-Rose Cooney’s Word For Word, on whom Mark Todd was fourth in 1999.
This horse has done little since, but looks as well and supple as ever and should go well across country – it is just his show jumping which can be a little lazy.
The expected well-marked tests on a Friday afternoon didn’t materialise.
Mary King’s second string Ryan finds this phase difficult, while Leslie Law had a rough ride on Mark Todd’s 1999 winner, Diamond Hall Red, who is notorious for blowing up in this phase.
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Results after second day dressage
1, Pippa Funnell (Primmore’s Pride, GBR), 43.01; 2, Andrew Hoy (Mr Pracatan) 44.81; 3, Mary King (King Solomon lll, GBR) 46.4; 4, Andrew Nicholson (New York, NZL) 47.6; 5, Polly Stockton (Word For Word, GBR) 48.8; 6, Matt Ryan (Kibah Sandstone, AUS), 49.01; 7, Leslie Law (Shear L’Eau,GBR) 49.20; 8, William Fox-Pitt (Highland Lad, GBR) 50.21; 9, Printers Absolutely Primitive (Andrew Hoy, AUS) 51.6; 10= Andrew Nicholson (Climb The Heights) and Gilles Viricel (Caprice de la Cour, FRA) 51.8.
To read Thursday’s Burghley report click here
Keep in touch with the latest news with our daily online reports from Burghley, plus see full report with pictures in next week’s Horse & Hound (5 September), plus expert opinion and review of this great event in the October issue of Eventing magazine
