‘Be Brave, Be Positive and Be Very Attacking’: Burghley Winner Pippa Funnell Analyzes her Cross Country Ride

Pippa Funnell’s Winners Analysis. Don’t forget you can now catch up with all of last weekends action on our website.https://burghley-horse.co.uk/live-video

Posted by The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Official Page on Saturday, September 14, 2019

“Coming into the start box I had Chris Bartle, our team trainer, telling me to get my act together to really go for it. There was only one way to ride this course, and that was be brave, be positive and be very attacking.”

That advice, recounted by Pippa Funnell after her 2019 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials win, proved to be spot on considering we saw riders who tackled Captain Mark Phillips‘ 2019 track in a forward, positive manner be rewarded with good distances and clear rounds throughout the day.

Though Pippa and MGH Grafton Street, owned by Jonathan and Jane Clarke, led the competition after the first phase, she admitted to being not so sure where they would be sitting among the standings on Saturday evening, citing the incredibly talented gelding’s comedian-like antics which had led to less-than-consistent performances across the country in previous outings.

So how exactly did our heroine pilot the tricky 11-year-old all the way from the start box to the finish flags, delivering a clear and fast round in the horse’s first five-star? Now we know! This must-watch video of “Squirrel” and Pippa’s complete round is a real masterclass as Pippa talks us through how she rode each and every fence and why. What a treat to be able to hear her analysis of the ride!

Revisit all EN’s Burghley Horse Trials coverage here.