You think you're past all that

Pippa Funnell shows why you should never rule her out when she wins the flagship class on a new “project” ride

- PIPPA ROOME

Bramham, W Yorks

PIPPA FUNNELL scored her fourth Bramham win, 31 years after her first, when she took the CCI4*-L on an exciting new ride, MCS Maverick.

“I can’t tell you how special winning a big one is when you get to my stage. You think you’re past all that,” said Pippa, 54, adding the one thing she wishes she’d done earlier in her career is go to the gym – she now works with a personal trainer every week.

The rider started the event saying she was on a fact-finding mission to learn more about Sarah Ross’s 10-year-old Mill Law son, MCS Maverick.

Second after dressage on 29.3, she added just 1.2 crosscountry time-faults, saying after her showjumping clear: “I feel a bit of a fraud the way I’ve come in here saying I don’t know how he’s going to be, but I genuinely didn’t know. I’ve had fantastic spins on him the runs I’ve had, but I’ve not run him competitively.

“He was absolutely super – really class. If I can strengthen him up and he improves from this point, then I’m really excited,” she added.

MCS Maverick was produced by Helen Wilson, who also rides for the Funnells’ Billy Stud, and Pippa has followed his career since seeing him cross-country schooling as a youngster.

She explained: “Helen said to sit on him out of interest a couple of years ago and I did. I liked him, but he’s just quite hot. Last year Helen had ups and downs and I think found it fairly difficult because the horse was kept at the owner’s and so she couldn’t ride him really regularly. Between them they mutually decided to see if I would give it a go.