Luckily Storm Eunice was not around when the riders went hacking during training with Pippa Funnell!
Watch our Feature Video Interview with Kristina Hall-Jackson here
As the UK was feeling the effects of their worst week of storms for 30-years the members of the Wesko Equestrian Foundation are keeping focused on the start of the season which is less than two weeks away
The 2021 season highlight for Harry Mutch was completing the pop-up CCI5* at Bicton, and for 2022 he’s still aiming high with Badminton and Burghley firmly on his radar.
“It was great to be able to complete my second 5* at Bicton last season and, as he gave me such a good ride he gave me round that tough track, I can’t wait to see how he comes out this year.
“My key aim for 2022 will be to hopefully have two more 5* completions at Badminton and Burghley. I’m excited to see with the experience we gained from 2021 to see if we can be more competitive at the level.”
Following a week of training with Pippa Funnell, Harry is more focused than ever.
“One of the key things I learned from the training is how important it is to have your horse completely straight! It sounds easy but the difference in their way of going when we got them connected and straight was amazing.
“One of his weaknesses of HD Bronze (my 5* ride) has always been his centre lines. But once we got him feeling confident to let go and canter straight down the centre line without me trying to hold him to stop him falling out, he felt like a different horse and felt so rideable.
“Overall, it feels like we have come back this year and learned so much in such a short space of time so there is plenty to put into practice going into this competition season. I can already feel the difference on the other horses at home too, with some of the tips that we got from Pippa. I can’t wait to see how they all develop in the future!”
Harry and HD Bronze on course at Bicton CCI5*
With all three of the riders eyeing up a CCI5* start in 2022, the theme of straightness is starting to be a key trend in their training. Whether it is straightness in the dressage or preparing them for the trickier lines across the country.
Kristina Hall-Jackson picked up her 5* qualification at Bramham last season and now, all being well, will target a 5* this season with CMS Google.
“My biggest takeaway from my time spent down at Pips was how crucial straightness is for horse and rider. And it’s not about holding the horse straight it’s about correcting the horse then releasing the pressure, so the horse moves freely up to the contact.
“Then every so often throughout the work you’re doing, do a quick self-check; have I got even weight in my seat bones? Are my hips in line with my shoulders etc?
“As soon as I got home, I had Pippa on repeat in my head whilst working the horses to constantly remind me of what I’ve learnt.”
Emma Thomas is a rider who has produced all three of her rides from the very bottom, with two now at 4* and one targeting a 5* later this year. Emma also took her five-year-old Loki to train with Pippa, a reminder of the importance on giving equal focus on the younger, developing horses, as well as those competing at the top level.
“My young horse, Loki, learned a huge amount whilst at Pippa’s. One of the more unexpected aspects of Pippa’s training is the use of Quadrille with youngsters. As a rider, it gets you out of your individual bubble and focuses you on your position relative to those around you.
“This allows you to ride more instinctually and gets your horse used to working obediently whilst in close proximity to other horses. As Loki can be quite sharp, it was amazing to see how he responded to this over the course of one session and started to toe the line.
“My biggest takeaway has to be the importance of getting inside each horse’s head to see what makes them tick and therefore treat them as individual characters. Once you can work them out, it makes it much easier to understand what will get them to perform at their best.”
With the 2022 season just around the corner, we’re looking forward to catching up with a number of the Wesko Foundation riders at Oasby this March and hopefully will have some of their competition cross country video footage in the next blog!
Ready for the season - Kristina and Harry
