Pippa Funnell adds the Scottish Open Championships CIC*** at Thirlestane Castle to her recent win in the Eventers Grand Prix at Hickstead
Pippa Funnell showed she is on song to defend her European Championship title in October when she and Emma Pitts’s Supreme Rock led from start to finish in the Pedigree Scottish Open Championships CIC*** at Thirlestane Castle.
She was also eighth on Primmores Pride, with whom she lay second after dressage. Pippa’s next competitive outing may be the Hickstead Derby meeting, where she hopes to qualify The Tourmaline Rose, winner of the recent Eventers Grand Prix, for the Speed Derby.
William Fox-Pitt, who is a European squad possibility with either Stunning or Tamarillo, was placed on both those horses and scooped no less than four of the top six prizes.
He was runner-up on Stunning, who was easily the fastest of the class, third on new ride, Springleaze Macaroo, fifth on Tamarillo and sixth on Moon Man. All these horses, bar Tamarillo, are double-entered for Burghley.
Rodney Powell broke William’s stranglehold with his potential European Championship ride Flintstone lV, eventual fourth, and was the only rider to get near Pippa in the dressage phase.
Last year’s Burghley winners, Andrew Nicholson and Mr Smiffy, were seventh.
The rest of Thirlestane was a New Zealand benefit, apart from the open intermediate class, which saw a first win at that level for Zara Phillips, riding Toytown.
New Zealand newcomer Neil Spratt won the CIC** on Cosmos while Blyth Tait and Joe Meyer won the two advanced classes, with Welton Envoy and Southern Star respectively. Scotland-based Kiwi Caroline Powell took the Scottish Novice Championship on Diplodocus.
For full results, visit the Thirlestane site via the links page at www.britisheventing.com.
