Pippa Funnell runs poetry competition for young writers during coronavirus lockdown

Pippa Funnell is running a poetry competition online for young writers up to 16 years old, with the aim of helping to keep them busy and amused during the coronavirus lockdown.

“One little girl, eight-year-old Jessica Kimber, sent me a poem,” Pippa told H&H. “I was thinking of all the kids stuck at home without school and that gave me an idea to run a competition. A lot of kids know me through my books, Tilly’s Pony Tails, and I thought it was just something different and would be fun.”

Jessica Kimber and her poem, which inspired the competition

There are two categories in the competition: 10 years and under, and 11- to 16-year-olds. Entrants have to handwrite their poem and include a heart inside a horseshoe – as Jessica did on her poem – take a photograph and the poems should then be posted to the Facebook page. The closing date is 30 April.

The top five from each category will be decided according to which have the most “likes” and Pippa and her team will then pick the winners.

The two winners will receive a lesson with Pippa on their own ponies at her yard, or if they do not have a pony or live too far away they can either visit Pippa’s yard and she will show them round, or they can meet Pippa and her team at an event. These prize trips will happen after the lockdown is over and Pippa also plans to meet Jessica, who inspired the competition.

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“Some of the poems are amazing and I’ve enjoyed reading them,” added Pippa, who responded with a personal message to the first poems posted.

There have been more 100 poems posted to the page already.

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Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.