Pippa Funnell in hospital after a fall at Withington Horse Trials
Pippa Funnell is in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxfordshire after a fall at Withingon Manor Horse Trials yesterday (Sunday, 1 May).
“They are keeping her in for observation and further tests,” Pippa’s mother Jenny Nolan told H&H. “She is conscious — she wasn’t unconscious at all.”
Pippa’s ride Sandman 7 was treated by a vet onsite yesterday and met by Pippa’s own vet, John Hennessy, when he came off the lorry at the rider’s Surrey yard. He is being checked over again this morning.
“He was dosed up with painkillers so that hasn’t fully worn off yet, but he is fine — he’s walking out sound and has been led out for some grass,” said Jenny.
Pippa fell at fence 16 on the advanced course, a big parallel.
The 10-year-old Sandman 7 belongs to Pippa, Jenny and Ruth McMullen — Pippa and Jenny gave a share in the horse to the rider’s first trainer for her 80th birthday. The pair were members of the silver medal-winning British team at the European Championships at Blair Castle last year, finishing eighth individually.
Withington was Pippa and Sandman’s third cross-country run this year and they took third in a CIC3* at Burnham Market last time out.
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Pippa has two horses entered for Badminton this week, Billy Beware and Second Supreme.
Advanced debutante Georgie Wood also had a fall at Withington, riding Sjapo Le Sursaut, and broke her collarbone.
“He flew cross-country, eating up the course and making it feel easy. He was bold and straight and tried his heart out for me,” said Georgie.
“Unfortunately we both had a nasty fall coming out of the water just two fences from home. We both seemed to have come out relatively unscathed considering, although I have broken my collarbone. I’m gutted as he didn’t deserve it and had given me a phenomenal ride till that point.”
Georgie also paid tribute to the team at Withington, who acted quickly to save her and “Coco” any further injury when she was stuck underneath him after the fall.
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Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.