Pippa Funnell’s Primmore’s Pride returns to eventing

Pippa Funnell’s ride Primmore’s Pride made a successful return to the competitive fray after three years away when he finished second in an open intermediate section at Highclere yesterday.

“It’s an absolute privilege to be able to event him again,” said Pippa. “It made me realise what a fantastic horse he was. There are no future plans — I’m just going to see how it goes.”

Primmore’s Pride has not competed since he finished fourth in an advanced intermediate at Salperton in June of 2006. He was then withdrawn from the British squad for that year’s World Equestrian Games in Aachen after an “unsatisfactory scan” of his front legs.

Salperton was Primmore’s Pride’s only full run of 2006, after he was withdrawn injured from the British team for the 2005 Blenheim Europeans.

Denise Lincoln’s gelding, who is by Mayhill out of the advanced Ben Faerie mare Primmore Hill, is now 16 years old.

He won Kentucky and Burghley in 2003, helping Pippa clinch the Rolex Grand Slam, and went on to win team silver and individual bronze medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. In 2005, he became the first horse to win three different four-stars when he added Badminton to his tally.

Full report of Highclere and a picture of Primmore’s Pride there in next Thursday’s H&H (10 September).

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.