Listen to our interview with Pippa Funnell at Bramham here
The Under-25 Championships held at Bramham International Horse Trials, each year, are not only a main aim for many a senior rider but also provide the culmination for a lifetime of hard work for young riders.
Regarded as one of the toughest 4* tracks in the world, the undulations of Yorkshire provide a true championship test, and the perfect test for those considering Burghley 5*.
Bramham 2022 certainly was a roller-coaster ride for the members of the Wesko Equestrian Foundation!
Ready for action! Kristina Hall-Jackson and CMS Google at the first horse inspection
For Kristina Hall-Jackson it was a dream come true and a highlight of her equestrian career so far.
“Bramham must be my career highlight so far. CMS Google tried her heart out for me all week and it was very special to have finished in the top 10 (of the CCI4*-L) with a horse I’ve produced myself.”
“Google finds dressage difficult, but we are training hard in this phase, and she is improving all the time. Pippa (Funnell) helped me over the first few days with Google’s dressage and did improve her way of going. She went on to do some beautiful trot and canter work but found the walk a little too exciting which was costly, but after the test Pippa and I discussed a plan to help stop this from happening in the future.”
“We were lying in 42nd after dressage but I knew it wouldn’t be a dressage competition as the cross-country was a typical Ian Stark course which would require some brave riding. Google flew round giving me an amazing ride just adding 2.8-time penalties to our score moving us up to 15th ahead of show jumping.
“Google is a good jumper, and I knew if I got her to the fences correctly, she’d leave the poles up which she did giving us a clear round to finish sixth overall. She has always been a good jumper and Bramham suited her as the strong cross-country and show jumping tracks suited the good jumping horses.
“I was over the moon with the result and now very excited to have Burghley in the plan for our next big event. Pippa’s help walking the courses and in the dressage is invaluable and I’m so grateful to be on the Wesko Foundation Programme.”
Harry and HD Bronze at the first horse inspection for the CCIU254*-L
Harry Mutch was on a high going into the highly anticipated June fixture, with three horses entered across the U25 Championships and the CCI4*S, an achievement in its own right.
“HD Bronze was in the U25 CCI4*L. He’s always been quite tricky at a show to get ready for a test and I was so fortunate to have Pippa help me prepare for the test. She helped me massively with all the horses, but it was so rewarding to take him in and get a good smart test – a new PB (33.3) and was sitting sixth after dressage.”
“I walked the cross-country and thought the track would really suit him, it was a big attacking track which would suit him perfectly! He started the cross-country fantastically and felt so rideable, making light work of the early combinations.
We unfortunately only got to the first water where he jumped in great and got to the middle element almost too easy, resulting in us getting too deep and landing on the box and me having such a frustrating fall. I’ve watched it back a few times and it’s one of those things unfortunately and we will move on.”
With Shanbeg Cooley and HD The One both in the CCI4*S it was a busy for days for Harry. Both horses are still new to the level and produced good tests, albeit with some areas for improvement and went on to jump very good show jumping rounds.
“Shanbeg Cooley was first to go cross-country, he was going so well and gave me a super ride then we had a silly runout at an arrowhead late on in the course which I would say was all down to me not really being able to use my right leg to keep him straight, after my fall earlier in the day! We represented and he jumped it no problem.
“Last to go was HD The One and with how the day had been going with a fall on my first ride, a run out on my second, I was thinking this is going great as I’m about to take the least experienced horse out for his first 4*!! He left the start box and just felt like a total pro! He tackled every combination wanting to get through the flags and tried so hard for me!
He finished clear with 3.2 time and didn’t feel like I was riding him fast! He’s really shown over that weekend what a talented horse he is and even more special that I’ve produced him from a three-year-old so really means a lot to me to get that result on him.”
"It is the toughest track I have ever ridden" Emma Thomas and The Buzz Factor
The rollercoaster continued for Emma Thomas, who had, like many, been building up the U25 Championship all season and felt the surreal moment of finally getting to the event she had worked so hard for.
“It was lovely to be there alongside the Wesko Team and with Pippa very kindly coaching us all alongside competing in the British Showjumping classes.”
“Whilst I didn’t have the best week results wise, there are plenty of positives to take away from the event. I had two great dressage lessons from Pippa on Buzz before my test. While it didn’t quite come off in the ring how we wanted, I have plenty of homework and fresh ideas to come home with and inspire me to improve for next time.
Pippa also walked us (along with her dogs!) around the long format track. It was incredible to get her insights and be able to draw from her breadth of experience, especially since she had so much Bramham specific advice to bestow upon us.”
“I unfortunately had a fall off my short format horse in the show jumping. It was just one of those times when you and the horse completely misread each other. Pippa literally picked me up and gave me a great pep talk, making sure I felt okay to ride cross country in the long format.
I’m so glad I did decide to run as my cross-country round at Bramham was one of the best moments of my entire career. It is the toughest track I have ever ridden, and my wonderful horse made it feel easy.
Buzz isn’t the most blood horse in the world and I have been working hard on his fitness which really paid off. We unfortunately had a slide out at an easy combination four from the finish, but I have come away knowing that he will be more than capable of going around a 5* cross-country track. We have come up the grades together and we are still teaching each other at this level, each time at 4* long is a new frontier for us.
So, while I was gutted not to go clear, I was pleased with how we both performed and the potential that is there for next time.”
Many of the Wesko riders now look towards the September highlights of Blenheim and Burghley
