Pippa Funnell’s Rolex Ride, Primmore’s Pride, Crosses Rainbow Bridge

Pippa Funnell has announced her Rolex ride, and long term eventing partner, Primmore’s Pride, was put to sleep on Monday 20th March at the age of 30, along with his 29-year-old best buddy. Pippa Woodall, who cared for Primmore’s Pride at Park Farm Stud during his retirement, made the tough but most humane decision for them to go together. On social media, Funnell described the two as “joined at the hip”.

Primmore’s Pride, stable name Kiri, was rode by Pippa Funnell in two of the three legs of her famous 2003 Rolex Grand Slam victory. Funnell claims that from the first day she saw him, she knew that Kiri would go on to become a champion in his field.

Foaled in 1993 by Primmore’s Hill, Kiri established himself with early success, finishing first in the prestigious Burghley Young Event Horse Final as a five-year-old; he then went on to top that achievement with a win as a seven-year-old in the Young Horse Breeding World Championships at Le Lion d’Anger.

Funnell doubts she will ever have another horse that will score 3 x 10s for an extended trot, as he did at the Athens Games and fondly describes him as “incredible, despite being ever so slightly arrogant”.

The majority Thoroughbred gelding, bred by Joanna and Roger Day, was a true event horse that excelled in the old-style long-format eventing. His most significant victories included the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2003, Burghley Horse Trials later that year, individual Bronze at Athens in 2004 and Badminton Horse Trials in 2005.

Funnell has expressed her gratitude to owners Denise and Roger Lincoln, Pippa Woodall “for looking after him with such great care in his retirement” and the horse himself who “gave me some momentous life-changing victories”.