Pippa and Billy Walk On win the CCI2* at Houghton Hall
Pippa Funnell made a comeback to competition at Rockingham Horse Trials after a bad fall at Withington Horse Trials but her performance at Houghton Hall shows that she is really on the way to recovery with a win on the ‘very special' Billy Walk On in the CIC2*
“I’m feeling good, much better although I’m probably not completely there yet” said Pippa after the show jumping “I feel fine when I’m riding although I’m not sure I rode that round very well! But I feel very spoiled with Billy Walk On because honestly I think that anyone could win on him”
Their clear round show jumping round meant that Pippa and Billy Walk On won the CCI2* at Houghton on their dressage score of 35.6 adding to their CIC1* win at Chatsworth and the CIC1* Young Event Horse title at Osberton last year. The seven year old by Billy Mexico is out of Shannon Line, the same dam as Pippa’s Billy Shannon who was sadly lost to leukaemia in 2013 so he is special to Pippa for many reasons as well as being very talented
“I’d be happy to go around an Advanced course on him tomorrow, even though he’s only seven years old, he’s just so scopey” said Pippa ““We haven’t run him a lot or put him under any pressure to win but he just does everything in such a relaxed way. He’s so trainable and has such a good brain, it’s as if he’s read the book and knows what to do; actually you hardly have to train him, you just ask the question and he answers it”
As we were chatting Billy Walk On showed what a cool character he is, standing quietly next to Pippa having his studs removed without being held as other horses and riders milled around waiting for the presentation. One of the other horses there was tenth placed MGH Grafton Street, also ridden by Pippa who received a special hug as well (below)
In the CCI2* Young Rider Will Livingstone also finished on his dressage score of 34.5 riding Livingstone II.
This is the second time in three years that Will has won the British Eventing Askham Bryan National U21 Championship (2016 and 2014) while he placed second in 2015; other young riders must be very pleased that he has turned 21 this year! Livingstone II is the horse that Will rode to individual gold in the European Championships in 2015 and they impressed from the start for a win at Houghton.
"I did feel the pressure a bit as last to go in to the show jumping, but it was the same in Strezgom at the Europeans last year. I hope that we are selected for the British team again this year, which is my last in Young Riders, so that I can have a go at defending my title,” said Will.
In second place was Emily King riding Dargun on 36.9 and Sam Ecroyd finished third and fourth on Opera House and Master Douglas
Will and Livingstone jump clear for the title and quite a few goodies that go with it including this quad bike for a year
