Mark Phillips says . . .
“What can you say about Pippa Funnell? She has had a bad summer, by her standards, and not the greatest build up to Burghley. We can only imagine the pressure she has lived through thinking of the posibility of the $250,000 Rolex Grand Slam. How those pressures must have built when she lost the chance to ride Supreme Rock and Cornerman through minor leg injuries. The fact that she did it, winning her third CCI**** back to back, makes her one of the all time greats. I truly believe that Pippa has done something special that we will not see again for a generation.”
Lucy Higginson says . . .
“No eventer has ever won a cheque half as big as the one Pippa Funnell took home for clinching the Rolex Grand Slam, and no one could begrudge her success. She’s worked so hard for it, achieved so much, and coped magnificently under enormous pressure. To have lost it for the sake of a handful of time penalties would have been heartbreaking. Zara Phillips’s rolled show jump, three from home, served only to augment the crowds’ adoration of her. Everyone wants to see her win a four-star, but they didn’t quite want to see it yet, not when it would have meant Pippa forfeiting a quarter of a million bucks. “
Lynn Russell says . . .
“With a show as prestigious as HOYS, showing not only has to be above reproach but it must be seen to be above reproach — which is why the rule [If judging at HOYS, judges may not judge a qualifier in that category during that year] was made in the first place.
“On the most important day of the year, there should be no other days in the judge’s mind that’s the rule! This rule is being broken three times. Rules may be made to be broken in an emergency, but can you see any other justificiation?”
NEW Marcus Armytage says . . .
“The only way [to lose weight] is the common sense way. Breaking his arm may not have been regarded by AP McCoy as any sort of blessing in disguise but it might turn out to be so.
“Worried that his weight might get out of control, he has sought professional advice. Now he has given up chocolate, sips mineral water, eats chicken breast with salad and has a gym at home. His weight is now better than it has been for 5yr and you can expect him to be doing 10st on a regular basis this season.”
