Pippa Funnell will join the British Eventing (BE) board as a non-executive director with hopes to use her experience to help future generations in the sport.
“The more I thought about it, the more I felt I owed it to the sport that has given me so much,” Pippa told H&H, adding that stakeholders within the sport suggested she should put her name forward for the voluntary position.
“I want future generations to have the opportunities I have had. I feel BE now more than ever needs everyone to collectively work out what is best for our sport; prioritising the horses, the competitors from grassroots to international, the owners, and very importantly, the organisers – because without them there would be no sport.”
Pippa said she hopes that her experience and knowledge gained throughout her career from competing, training, producing, and helping with her family’s organisation of South of England Horse Trials, will “be of benefit to the board to help the sport thrive in the future”.
“As riders we don’t know that much about the board and the other side of the sport, and it’s very easy for stakeholders just to see things from their own approach. One of the reasons I thought it would be good to join the board is to see it from different angles, it’s not as simple as purely what we think as riders. We’re all aware the sport has had a bit of a difficult time, and it upsets me when people just moan. You can moan, but only if you have a solution. We’ve got to try and pull together to make sure it’s right for the future, now more than ever,” she said.
“I would definitely like to help find a way to make the sport more viable and save a lot of the events that we’re losing. It’s so sad how many events are going under and I know from my family’s involvement with South of England for nearly 50 years that it’s a struggle. It’s finding ways to keep those greenfield sites going because that’s what is so special about BE, the variety of cross-country courses and events that we have. Those major events play such a key part in the calendar and it’s tragic to lose so many.”
Pippa will be formally appointed for the four-year term at the BE AGM on 8 December. Existing board member Will Cursham, a litigation lawyer and amateur eventer, will stand for a second term.
BE chair Mark Sartori thanked Pippa and Will for their appointments.
“I would like to thank Will for giving his time for another term with BE. He brings great value to the board with his eventing background, accompanied by his professional career as a specialist dispute resolution lawyer,” he said.
“I would also like to express my gratitude to Pippa for putting herself forward. Pippa’s depth of knowledge across all areas of the sport is second-to-none and I am excited to have the opportunity to work with her as we drive the sport forward. Her success as not only a competitor, but also as a world-class breeder and producer of young horses, is globally recognised and her joining the board will without doubt reap rewards for our members and stakeholders.”
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