Pippa Funnell

Philippa Rachel "Pippa" Funnell MBE (née Nolan, 7 October 1968) is an equestrian sportswoman who competes in eventing.

Pippa Funnell was born in Crowborough, East Sussex on 7 October 1968 to Jenny and George Nolan.

She grew up in Mark Cross and went to the Mark Cross CE primary school.

She attended the independent boarding school Wadhurst College on Mayfield Lane in Wadhurst.

Aged 16, she persuaded her parents to allow her to leave school, after which she based herself with Ruth McMullen.

Funnell was European Young Rider Champion in 1987 after successfully competing on Sir Barnaby at Bialy Bor, Poland.

Despite a successful career as a junior and young rider, she at first struggled to establish herself as a senior international and by her own admission suffered from nerves that were threatening to ruin her career.

She began receiving help from sports psychologist Nicky Heath.

Funnell married her husband, show jumper William Funnell in December 1993.

They live in Ockley in Surrey where they have a stud farm to breed horses.

At the European Championships, she has won two Individual golds (1999–2001) and three team golds (1999–2003).

In 1999, Funnell became European Champion at Luhmühlen riding Supreme Rock and again on the same horse in 2001 at Pau ("Les Etoiles de Pau" – France).

She then went to Punchestown in Ireland to defend the individual European title that she had won in 1999 and 2001, winning a bronze medal with the inexperienced Walk On Star and helping the British team to win their fifth successive team title.

She also finished the year as the number one ranked rider in the world.

She is a three-time Olympic medallist, winning team silver in 2000 and 2004, and an individual bronze in 2004.

She was a member of the British teams that won silver at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, bronze at the World Equestrian Games in 2002 both with Supreme Rock, and silver again at the Athens Olympics of 2004, this time with Primmore`s Pride.

In addition, Funnell won the individual bronze medal at Athens.

(She competed at the Athens Olympics as 'Philippa' rather than 'Pippa' as 'Pipa' in Greek is slang for a sexual act. )

She also won Badminton in 2002 and 2005.

In total Funnell has won the Badminton Horse Trials three times: 2002, 2003 and 2005.

She has won both the Blenheim venue and Windsor Horse Trials four times as well, the only rider yet to do so.

In 2003, she became the first person to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing (consecutive wins at Rolex Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley).

In 2003, Funnell became the first rider ever to complete the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, by adding the Burghley title to her victories earlier in the year at Kentucky and Badminton, to earn a $250,000 bonus from Rolex.

The Kentucky and Burghley victories were on Primmore's Pride, while the Badminton victory was on Supreme Rock.

As a result of her achievements, she was voted Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year 2003 and was in the top five of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

With Funnell as rider, Primmore's Pride became the 1st horse to win all three major four star titles - Kentucky & Burghley in 2003 and Badminton in 2005 - thus becoming the 1st horse to win its own Grand Slam.

Pippa had been inducted in 2005.

Her horses have included Supreme Rock, Primmore's Pride, Sir Barnaby, Bits and Pieces, Walk on Star, and Ensign.

After winning Badminton in 2005, Funnell did not win an international event for five years.

Several of her top horses, such as Supreme Rock, Primmore’s Pride, Viceroy, Walk on Star, Cornerman and Jurassic Rising reached the end of their careers and were retired.

With Ensign, she finished ninth at the 2005 Europeans.

The combination were placed on the shortlist for the 2008 Olympics following a 2nd place at Pau CCI**** in late 2007.

A fall at Badminton in 2008 put paid to them being picked.

In 2010, Funnell won her first international event for five years in the CCI3* at Bramham International horse trials on her upcoming horse Redesigned.

They went on to finish 5th as an individual at the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

In 2011, she won Barbary CIC3* on Billy Llandretti.

In 2013, she won Tattersalls CCI3* with another upcoming horse, Billy Beware, who finished 6th at his first 4* event at Badminton Horse Trials 2014.

They became the first husband and wife to be inducted into The British Horse Society Equestrian Hall of Fame when William was inducted in 2014.

She also competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

As of 2017, she remains one of only two riders to have won the Grand Slam.