the-billy-stud-new-logo

Sunshine & Snow!

We’ve all had an extremely busy week here at the Billy Stud, both at home and abroad – braving the weather!

Sunshine Tour Results

Young Horses:

Billy Rembrandt (Billy Congo x Kroongraff), clear every day so far in the 7 year old classes.

The sun was out in Spain at the beginning of the week with many clears and results from the Billy Stud team;

Hannah Berryman’s 5yo Billy Harmony (Cevin Z x Billy Congo) jumped two lovely double clears, coming 12th on Wednesday.

6 year olds:

Billy Baltic (Billy Congo x Animo) ridden by Georgie Crumley, Billy Flintstone (Billy Mexico x Vechta) & Billy Mozette (Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve x Billy Congo) all jumped clear with Billy Spiral (Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve x Billy Mexico) jumping clear both days in the 6yo classses.

The 7yos have also been on flying form:

Billy Cadenza (Cevin Z x Animo) double clear on Wednesday, the handsome stallion Billy Tudor (Cevin Z x Andiamo) jumped two fantastic clears both days and placing 18th on Wednesday, Billy Fleance (Tangelo Van de Zuuthoeve x Billy Mexico) & Jess Dimmock also jumped lovey clears and placed both days – 19th & 6th & the grey stallion Billy Du Montois (Cevin Z x Abdullah) jumped double clear with Lucy on Wednesday.

Billy Rembrandt (Billy Congo x Kroongraff), who still hasn’t touched a pole whilst in Spain jumped clear for 7th place both days. Rembrandt is out of the dam Siena (KWPN, mare by Kroongraaf), the same dam as Billy Angelo.

The weather then turned in Spain with the arrival of Storm Emma and the jumping was cancelled on Thursday & Friday due to torrential rain, high speed winds and flooded arenas!

The older horses were back out jumping at the weekend with Billy Angelo (Tangelo Van de Zuuthoeve x Kroongraff) jumping a superb and speedy clear in the Small Grand Prix and finishing 2nd!

Small Tour:

The lovely Billy Angelo 2nd in the Small Grand Prix Tangelo Van de Zuuthoeve x Kroongraff)

Billy Gogo (Billy mexico x La Poco) was clear and 13th & Billy Fraulein (Billy Congo x PB Capitol) who was sold to Sofia Abramovich (RUS) also jumped clear to finish 5th.

Medium Tour:

Billy Blue bell (Billy Congo x Jazz) & Jess Dimmock clear & 9th

Billy Republic (Cevin Z x Billy Congo) & Matt Sampson clear & 4th

Big Tour:

Billy Porter (Cevin Z x Tannenhof’s Carmelito S) & Samuel Martinez (SPA) jumping well and carrying on her success from last week with two double clears and a 7th & 5th place.
Billy Pringle (Kannan x Drummer) sold last year was clear & 17th with Greg Broderick.
Camila Bingham’s Billy Drizzle (Billy Congo x Animo) ridden by Trevor Breen also jumped a lovely clear to finish 12th.
Marie Longem and her own Billy Boycie (Kannan x Animo Keur) were clear and 7th.
Billy McCain (Cevin Z x Cruising) also double clear. Pictured at the top.

Meanwhile at home in Surrey the snow didn’t stop play;

We had a busy week of schooling and loose jumping some of the young horses whilst making sure the babies were keeping warm in the barns and out in the field.

 

 

Billy Congo in the Snow at home
Feeding time for the young horses in the barn!
Schooling at home for Billy Cassidy (Billy Mexico x Mark Twain) & Pippa
Loose jumping for future eventer Billy magic (Billy Congo x Kannan)

 

 

Share this story, choose your platform

More Articles

Billy’s in Spain

It’s been great to follow so many Billy Bred horses out enjoying the sunshine at the MET Oliva Nova Tour. Great results in the 7yo

Final Auction of 2023 Finished!

We are thrilled to share the fantastic results of our 2023 Billy Stud Auction, where we were proud to present our final lot of horses

3YO Viewing Day

We were thrilled to host our last viewing day of the year for the 3YO Autumn Online Auction last Saturday. It was a pleasure to

Enquire About Training

If you would like to enquire about training with us, please fill out the form below and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly.

Pippa Funnell

Twenty years after winning her first National Championship with Sir Barnaby, Pippa Funnell is firmly established as one of the world’s leading three day event riders.

 

Throughout a long career, Pippa has consistently been at the top of 3 Day Eventing having cemented her place back in 2003 when she achieved a landmark record by winning the Rolex Grand Slam (consecutive wins at Rolex Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley). As well as a healthy bonus from Rolex, Pippa earned herself a place in the history books as the first person to achieve this feat.

 

A year later she broke yet more records when she became the first person to win the Blenheim International Horse Trials for an incredible fourth time. This was followed by success at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she helped the team to Silver before taking the individual Bronze medal. Her list of achievements has continued to expand, with Pippa repeatedly placing well at all the major events, and includes claiming both the Badminton and Windsor titles on more than one occasion.

 

With her best selling autobiography and her range of ‘Pippa Funnell’ computer games continuing to top the game sales charts it’s clear that Pippa’s determination, drive and devotion to her sport, is proving an inspiration to many. Pippa’s appeal continues to grow and with the launch of ‘Tilly’s Pony Tails’, her popularity is set to expand further still.

 

Away from eventing Pippa has also received many awards which include the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Award, the Sports Journalist Association Pat Besford Award for Outstanding Individual Sporting Achievement, as well as being named BBC South’s Sports Personality of the Year and reaching the last five of the overall BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

 

Pippa was awarded an MBE in 2005.

 

Pippa is married to international show jumper, William Funnell.

Donal Barnwell

Donal was brought up in a farming family in Co Wexford in the heart of Irelands horse industry and from an early age was involved with horses. He went to agricultural college, graduated and farmed pigs commercially for 3 years until he could resist a career with horses no longer.

 

His first job was with the late Pat Cash, where he spent 3 years learning the business and developing his own unique philosophy and outlook on selection, breeding and training. Being a farmers son and a stock man gives Donal a unique perspective on horses and accounts for ability to see potential in a horse which others may miss.

 

Donal is recognised as having one of the best eyes in the business. Overall athleticism and conformation is important but Donal also looks at the head and eye to get a real feel for a horse. Donal moved to England 25 years ago to work for one of Pat Cash’s clients near Maidenhead. Donal developed the business and extended his business contacts in England before setting out on his own.

 

18 years ago he set up on his own from rented dealing yards near Chichester and 10 years ago moved to his current yard in Kirdford, West Sussex. Historically Donal has specialised in eventers although with The Billy Stud he has broadened out into breeding competition horses for all disciplines.

William Funnell

William began riding ponies as a child on the family farm in Ashford, Kent. He was born into a farming and hunting family. When he was not doing farm duties he would ride the family ponies. At the age of 16 he has the choice of leaving school to start farming, or showjumping. When Cyril Light of the Brendon Stud in Sussex offered him a job as second stable jockey to show jumper Simon Trent, he chose the latter option.

 

He has had success at the highest level in international show jumping, 2013 has been a great year so far, especially with Billy Congo. After finishing 4th in the London leg of the global champions tour, William went on to jump triple clear in Cannes to finish second, and an unlucky pole in the final round in Monte Carlo prevented him winning the class, but another 2nd place finish meant that he moved up to fourth in the global champions tour ranking list, with over £150,000 worth of winnings from the 2013 global tour season alone. William and Billy Congo finished off the summer in style by being part of the Gold medal winning team at the European Championships.

 

William and Cortaflex Mondriaan joined the elite ranks of three time Hickstead Derby winner adding the 2009 championship to their wins in 2006 and 2008. Last to go in the international arena they achieved the only clear round of the day and the first clear in the Hickstead Derby for five years, a great achievement for William and his team and their sponsors.

 

William Funnel is a world-renowned show jumping rider with over 20 years experience at the top of his sport. He has won over 20 International titles and has represented his country all over the world at the highest levels.

 

He has represented Great Britain on 27 different occasions involving 2 European Champonships and has won over 50 International competitions.

 

William has been bringing on young horses for some 20 years and has his own philosophy on how this should be done.

 

Young horses need time to mature and should not be rushed. William tries to give them much more time out in the fields so there bones, ligaments and muscles develop as they would in the wild and at a “natural rate”. While this means that they may mature later than horses of similar age which have been brought on quicker Williams feels they have a more substantial foundation of bone and muscle on which to build.

 

Each horse is brought on slowly and carefully depending to its attitude and development. All the horses undergo similar work at a early age and are not streamed into eventers or show jumpers. This happens at a much later stage with William taking charge of those that may be destined for show jumping and Pippa Funnell managing the development of those that seem to have the latent skill as eventers. Even when streamed William feels that cross discipline work can still help bring a horse on.