Pippa Funnell is the golden girl of the British equestrian scene, but it hasn't always been so. She seemed doomed to be a "misser" in the really big competitions, but everything began to change for her in 1999 when her results, including her first European title, were excellent. But it was at the Olympics that she really came of age, where her horse, Supreme Rock, finally fulfilled his potential and they won a silver medal. Since the Sydney Olympics Pippa has gone from strength to strength, and in 2003 she firmly established herself as the top sportswoman in the UK. She won the Rolex Grand Slam, which is three four-star events: Kentucky, Badminton, and Burghley.
Pippa Funnell: The Autobiography
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'The text gallops through Funnell's life story with engaging candour.' - Chris Maume THE INDEPENDENT 'an inspiration to those who aspire.' HORSE AND HOUND 'inspiring, mvoing and funny.' EVENTING 'A highly engaging and deeply revealing account of the life of Pippa Funnell... an inspirational story THE IRISH FIELD 'a gripping, entertaining and often touching read.' NFU COUNTRYSIDE 'The book is interspersed with funny moments, private personal moments and the inevitable lows associated with horses. It will inspire all those who read it.' THE SCOTTISH FARMER
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
About the Author
Pippa Funnell is the first woman to become eventing's world number one. She was born Pippa Nolan in 1968 and, with her first horse, Sir Barnaby, went from pony-club level to Badminton, en route winning the European Young Rider title in 1987. Her numerous victories include back-to-back European Championships in 1991 and 2001, and back-to-back Olympic silver medals in 2000 and 2004. She is the first winner of the Rolex Grand Slam, in 2003, and has won Badminton three times, in 2002, 2003 and 2005. In 2003 she was awarded the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year. In 2005 she was awarded an MBE in the Birthday Honours List. Pippa is married to the international show jumper William Funnell and lives in Surrey. http://www.pippafunnell.com/ https://twitter.com/pippafunnellTPT
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Darkhorse
Format:Paperback
I wanted to like this book, and in some ways, I did.
But it's not really an autobiography. It's more of a rambling of goings-on, and it's covered my like an advanced level XC course. Far too fast.
I can't blame Mrs Funnell. She's an eventer, not a writer. I blame the writers and editors.
This book is poorly laid out, poorly edited and has far too much information that is not necessary.
As a writer and Equestrian myself, one of the first things I know when writing a book, is know your audience. Bottom line, readers of this book will be horse people. So, one might wonder where is all the horse information? In fact, the horses and riding is skirted over so fast, you don't get to know any of the horses on an in depth basis. Another sad note is that some statements made in the book make Mrs Funnell look to be an incompitent horse woman--something she is NOT by any means. But, comments such as 'I learned a great lesson--always check your horse's legs before going to a 3 start event'. How could one not know this? As a lower leveled event rider, I know this. Other comments such as 'Always make sure your horse is fit before a 3/4 star event' come off as making the reader go 'say what? You didn't know this? Yet you are competiting at that level?"
That proves to me that much more important information was deleted for other, less important information.
The book is poorly organized. One chapter, assumingly dedicated to Sir Barnaby, barely mentions him. It skirts over all these various horses, but we never really get to know the real points we want to know:
Who trained Pippa? From the book, it seems like she hacks a lot before and after schoool, but has no formal lessons until she is a working student. However, as this working student with a top trainer, she fails to know how to fitness train a horse? How to improve her dressage? Having ridden pony club successfully, she would have had to have had brilliant coaching prior to her working student position. So, where was that all? It's never mentioned. I knew more about Pippa's schooling via the commentary on my Blenheim and Burlghley tapes.
How is that so? Watching her ride, she is absolutely brilliant. I have her competiting Sir Barnaby at Blenheim and Burlghley in 1992, and she was incredible. So, a comment Mark Phillips made about her XC ride has me baffled.
Readers of this book want to know her training, how the horses were under saddle, how it is to gallop XC at that level, how Badmitton feels to ride. Not a two paragraph statement of 'I did this fence well' or 'I retired' etc.
Another sad fact is that it does not explain or describe at ALL of the serious time it takes to condition an event horse, let alone 13. The fitness training an eventer goes through is tougher than any of the equestrian disciplines. You must carefully write down your horse's schedule to get them fit for the length of time they are out on endurance day(now this has changed somewhat due to the short format), not to mention hours of schooling dressage and jumping. None of this is explained in the least! Instead, we find out a million names that are dropped, all of which are somewhat irrelevant to the greater picture.
It makes Pippa look as if her desire to succeed over wraught her care for her horses in some passages, and again, that is not the case. I mean, I HOPE It is not. Judging from what I read in other sections, I highly doubt her desire to succeed would over shadow her care for her horses well being.
Still, there are some gems and pearls of wisdom to be found. The prologue is excellent because it is recounting one moment. You get a feel of what is actually going on when one would win such a prestigeous goal as a Gran Slam in Eventing. But, then we go back in time and are introduced to family, which is fine, but you don't get an idea of what her family life really was.
This book is what my writing teachers would have called 'telling a story, not showing'. Writing is about show and tell. Bring us there, don't just tell it. This book is one giant run-on sentence of horses, people, events, accidents, tragedy, triumph and it's all interconnected. It leaves the horse enthusiest a bit frustrated because we want more--or at least I do.
But it's not really an autobiography. It's more of a rambling of goings-on, and it's covered my like an advanced level XC course. Far too fast.
I can't blame Mrs Funnell. She's an eventer, not a writer. I blame the writers and editors.
This book is poorly laid out, poorly edited and has far too much information that is not necessary.
As a writer and Equestrian myself, one of the first things I know when writing a book, is know your audience. Bottom line, readers of this book will be horse people. So, one might wonder where is all the horse information? In fact, the horses and riding is skirted over so fast, you don't get to know any of the horses on an in depth basis. Another sad note is that some statements made in the book make Mrs Funnell look to be an incompitent horse woman--something she is NOT by any means. But, comments such as 'I learned a great lesson--always check your horse's legs before going to a 3 start event'. How could one not know this? As a lower leveled event rider, I know this. Other comments such as 'Always make sure your horse is fit before a 3/4 star event' come off as making the reader go 'say what? You didn't know this? Yet you are competiting at that level?"
That proves to me that much more important information was deleted for other, less important information.
The book is poorly organized. One chapter, assumingly dedicated to Sir Barnaby, barely mentions him. It skirts over all these various horses, but we never really get to know the real points we want to know:
Who trained Pippa? From the book, it seems like she hacks a lot before and after schoool, but has no formal lessons until she is a working student. However, as this working student with a top trainer, she fails to know how to fitness train a horse? How to improve her dressage? Having ridden pony club successfully, she would have had to have had brilliant coaching prior to her working student position. So, where was that all? It's never mentioned. I knew more about Pippa's schooling via the commentary on my Blenheim and Burlghley tapes.
How is that so? Watching her ride, she is absolutely brilliant. I have her competiting Sir Barnaby at Blenheim and Burlghley in 1992, and she was incredible. So, a comment Mark Phillips made about her XC ride has me baffled.
Readers of this book want to know her training, how the horses were under saddle, how it is to gallop XC at that level, how Badmitton feels to ride. Not a two paragraph statement of 'I did this fence well' or 'I retired' etc.
Another sad fact is that it does not explain or describe at ALL of the serious time it takes to condition an event horse, let alone 13. The fitness training an eventer goes through is tougher than any of the equestrian disciplines. You must carefully write down your horse's schedule to get them fit for the length of time they are out on endurance day(now this has changed somewhat due to the short format), not to mention hours of schooling dressage and jumping. None of this is explained in the least! Instead, we find out a million names that are dropped, all of which are somewhat irrelevant to the greater picture.
It makes Pippa look as if her desire to succeed over wraught her care for her horses in some passages, and again, that is not the case. I mean, I HOPE It is not. Judging from what I read in other sections, I highly doubt her desire to succeed would over shadow her care for her horses well being.
Still, there are some gems and pearls of wisdom to be found. The prologue is excellent because it is recounting one moment. You get a feel of what is actually going on when one would win such a prestigeous goal as a Gran Slam in Eventing. But, then we go back in time and are introduced to family, which is fine, but you don't get an idea of what her family life really was.
This book is what my writing teachers would have called 'telling a story, not showing'. Writing is about show and tell. Bring us there, don't just tell it. This book is one giant run-on sentence of horses, people, events, accidents, tragedy, triumph and it's all interconnected. It leaves the horse enthusiest a bit frustrated because we want more--or at least I do.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A story told from the heart of eventing
Mar 22 2005
By Robert Stevenson
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Pippa Funnell - the autobiography
The equestrian sport of eventing has experienced a great deal of scrutiny, tragedy and change in the past decade. Though much discussion over the past three years has been of the new format changes, the most uncontested feel-good story in the community has been that of Pippa Funnell. Thankfully, Pippa found the time through a very busy 2004 to record some of the details of her journey.
Remarkably, she tells the story of her life to this moment in time (21 August 2004 -- such that the book could be launched at Burghley) in such a way that it is not just a summary of happenings. She draws you into to her horse crazed youth. She describes the pains of pursuing the life of an athlete - one where both parents are not always pleased with your decisions. She describes the sacrifices - particularly as they relate to family - that are implicit in the life of one seeking to be the best in the world. She details each event in the book with great success. Information is supplied for the reason of understanding - no more, no less, and we are then able to follow the story-line as it unfolds. She displays the uncanny ability to transmit the feeling of her `nerves' into her written text. Fortunately, there is no tidy epilogue - and this is most suitable as her story continues.
Her account of the equestrian details is most satisfying. She expounds on her development as a rider - both physically and mentally/emotionally. Her insight in to her cross country riding and balance should be duly noted by many. Through her account of her work with Nicky Heath, we all learn of the importance of the mental game. And of course, she tells her tale in a fashion that pays highest respect to the horses that have made her successes possible.
When we finish her story, we feel satisfied that she has really `left no stone unturned.' We get the sense that things will never truly go `belly up' for Pippa Funnell ever again. Go ahead, read this book, and then shower your horse with praise.
The equestrian sport of eventing has experienced a great deal of scrutiny, tragedy and change in the past decade. Though much discussion over the past three years has been of the new format changes, the most uncontested feel-good story in the community has been that of Pippa Funnell. Thankfully, Pippa found the time through a very busy 2004 to record some of the details of her journey.
Remarkably, she tells the story of her life to this moment in time (21 August 2004 -- such that the book could be launched at Burghley) in such a way that it is not just a summary of happenings. She draws you into to her horse crazed youth. She describes the pains of pursuing the life of an athlete - one where both parents are not always pleased with your decisions. She describes the sacrifices - particularly as they relate to family - that are implicit in the life of one seeking to be the best in the world. She details each event in the book with great success. Information is supplied for the reason of understanding - no more, no less, and we are then able to follow the story-line as it unfolds. She displays the uncanny ability to transmit the feeling of her `nerves' into her written text. Fortunately, there is no tidy epilogue - and this is most suitable as her story continues.
Her account of the equestrian details is most satisfying. She expounds on her development as a rider - both physically and mentally/emotionally. Her insight in to her cross country riding and balance should be duly noted by many. Through her account of her work with Nicky Heath, we all learn of the importance of the mental game. And of course, she tells her tale in a fashion that pays highest respect to the horses that have made her successes possible.
When we finish her story, we feel satisfied that she has really `left no stone unturned.' We get the sense that things will never truly go `belly up' for Pippa Funnell ever again. Go ahead, read this book, and then shower your horse with praise.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful perspective and inspiring
Aug 2 2009
By K. Lucas
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Just love Pippa and follow her riding. This is a great read and inspires riders of all ages and levels to push through their issues - either with themselves, others and/or their horses and get to the goal!! Great stuff!!!!
4.0 out of 5 stars
An honest look at the eventing world.
Feb 2 2013
By Robynn
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Two things strike me particularly having read this book: one is how honest Pippa is with herself and her readers and the other is just how challenging (not to mention terrifying) eventing is at the top level. If you are looking for an insider's view of the real world of top level eventing you will find it here.
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Go to Amazon.com to see all 4 reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
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