H&H’s showjumping editor Jennifer Donald speaks to British team rider William Funnell, Billy Stud rider Lucy Townley and groom Zoe Herbert about the Olympic shortlisted 18.2hh Billy Stud home-bred who William describes as “the best I ever had”...
Equine America Billy Diamo
Age: 11
Breeding: Cevin Z x Andiamo
Rider: William Funnell
Owner/breeder: The Billy Stud
Greatest achievements: represented Great Britain in Nations Cup of Drammen (2020) and St Gallen (2019); third in the 1.60m CSI5* grand prix at Windsor (2019); double clear in the World Cup qualifier at Sharjah (2020); runner-up in the CSI3* grand prix at Abu Dhabi (2020); third in the CSI4* grand prix at Liverpool (2018).
Rider William Funnell on Billy Diamo
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"}
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H&H showjumping editor
Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.