Rocky takes Funnell to Supreme victory (From Stroud News and Journal)

Rocky takes Funnell to Supreme victory

"IT'S been my dream since I was tiny. Rocky performed amazingly over all three days," said a delighted Pippa Funnell following her immaculate win on Supreme Rock at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials last weekend.

It was a one, two, three result for Britain, with William Fox-Pitt taking second place on his very promising young horse Tamarillo and Leslie Law coming third on Shear H2O, after Andrew Hoy, lying second after the dressage and a spectacular cross country round, had four fences down in the show jumping ring on Darien Powers.

On day one Andrew led the field with a score of 37.61 after an impressive test on Darien Powers, with French first timer Arnaud Boiteau on Expo Du Moulin in second place and Polly Stockton on Mark Todd's former ride, Eye Spy II, in third.

But at the end of the second day double European champions Pippa Funnell (pictured right) and Supreme Rock finished six points clear of Andrew, with Wiltshire-based Rodney Powell on Flintsone IV third, and New Zealander Blyth Tait and locally-bred horse Welton Envoy fourth.

Hot on the heels of these four was a tightly packed international field with only a few marks separating them after riding the new test, written by former Badminton winner Chris Bartle, which met with general approval from most riders.

With many competitors trying to catch the eye of the selectors for the World Equestrian Games and a much changed cross country course to tackle, there was obviously going to be much excitment in store.

But before this was the disappointing withdrawal of Mary King and King Solomon III and Karen Dixon and Too Smart after the vet's inspection and of William Fox-Pitt's Moon Man. During the course of the day, other top riders fell - some literally - by the wayside, most notably Rodney Powell and Flintstone and Jeannette Brakewell and Over To You, both of whom had crashing falls at Huntsman's Close - and 1998 winners Chris Bartle and Word Perfect retired after a refusal.

But Hugh Thomas's new and technical course rode well, especially the Lake, usually the scene of many disasters, and the new Hunt Kennels complex which the more experienced negotiated without trouble.

To have the start and finish in the main arena caused much excitment among spectators. Darien Powers and Andrew Hoy made the course look almost easy and Supreme Rock and Pippa Funnell also jumped a copybook round as did William Fox-Pitt, in much pain from his injury, and Tamarillo who ended the day in third place.

Sadly, Blyth Tait and Welton Envoy, lying sixth, had to withdraw from the show jumping following the vet's inspection.

There was still all to play for as Sunday dawned, with not a fence to spare between Pippa Funnell and Andrew Hoy and only one fence between Pippa and William, with Polly Stockton and Eye Spy and Leslie Law and Shear H2O snapping at their heels.

Sadly, Darien Powers had four fences down and dropped to eighth place, giving Pippa a little margin for error.

But Supreme Rock jumped faultlessly to win the coveted Mitsubishi Trophy, closely followed by Tamarillo and Shear H2O with a magnificent effort by the German rider Andreas Dibowski and Ginger, his inappropriately named grey horse, who jumped into fourth place.

They were closely followed by New Zealand newcomer Kate Lambie on Nufarm Alibi in fifth, the miniscule Heidi Antikatizides from Greece sixth on Michaelmas, Polly Stockton an excellent seventh on Eye Spy II in front of the fancied Darien Powers.

Kiwi Andrew Nicholson took ninth and tenth places with New York and Mr Smiffy. Local riders fared less well than usual with Rodney Powell's retirement on Flintstone (though his more novice horse Weebolla looks a bright hope for the future), Bettina Hoy having a bad fall, and Tristram Owers having to withdraw both his rides, Cedilla and Hatherden's Riverdance, after clear cross country rounds.

But it was a joy to watch the performance of Caron Myles who lives almost on the course, at Luckington, riding her skewbald horse Bounty Hunter II to complete all three days in very creditable style.