After a stellar career as a young rider which included a junior European Championship victory in 1987, Pippa Funnell’s career lost momentum for a number of years as she struggled both with a lack of both top quality horses and of confidence in her own ability. The help of a sports psychologist seemed to reinvigorate her performances and, in partnership with the horse Supreme Rock, she won the European Championships in 1999 as both an individual and as part of the British team. The pair were chosen for the Sydney Olympics and they returned home from Australia having been the outstanding combination for the silver medal winning team. She successfully won both European titles in 2001 but had a disappointing show at the World Equestrian Games in 2002 where she had to be satisfied with only a team bronze. This proved only to be a temporary setback and she rose to the top of the world rankings by winning all three constituent events of the Grand Slam of Eventing (Burghley, Badminton and Lexington) in 2003. This was the first time the feat had ever been achieved in the same year. Also in 2003 she added a fifth European title leading the British team and was third individually. A change to the format of the sport in time for the 2004 Olympics was not favourable to Funnell’s current crop of horses but she still won silver and bronze medal in Athens. Her fortunes have waned after 2005 as many of her best horses were retired due to age or injury. Pippa married international show jumper William Funnell in 1993 and the two also run a business breeding horses. She has written a series of children’s books and lent her name to a number of equestrian video games.
Great Britain