United States Eventing Association

British Eventing Team announced for Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010

British Eventing today announced their selection for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010.

The selected squad comprises:

Tina Cook riding Mr & Mrs Nicholas and Valda Embiricos and Mrs Sarah Pelham’s Miner’s Frolic
William Fox-Pitt riding Mrs Teresa Stopford Sackville’s Cool Mountain
Piggy French riding Mr Wally French and Mr Michael Underwood’s Jakata
Pippa Funnell riding Mr & Mrs Roger Lincoln’s Redesigned
Mary King riding Mrs Janette Chinn and Mr & Mrs Edwin Davies’s Imperial Cavalier
Nicola Wilson riding Miss Rosemary Search’s Opposition Buzz

(Above Left: William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain on the way to the win at the Rolex Kentucky CCI4*. Josh Walker Photo.)

The non-travelling reserves (in alphabetical order) are:
Daisy Berkeley (Spring Along)
Sharon Hunt (Tankers Town)
Oliver Townend (Ashdale Cruise Master)
Lucy Wiegersma (Woodfalls Inigo Jones)

The team is subject to the six selected horses confirming their form at competition to be agreed by the Performance Manager and the selectors.

“This team is an exciting mixture of horses with previous Championship pedigree and younger horses making their Championship debut,” commented Yogi Breisner, World Class Performance Manager for Eventing.

Pippa Funnell commented on her selection: “I am just completely speechless; if anyone had told me six months ago, I never would have believed them! Though the horse is young, he has always impressed me and his owners who are of course equally delighted that he has been selected.

I know it is still 3 months away, and I know as well as anyone the ups and downs of having horses, but it’s still a huge honour to be asked. It would be more than a dream come true to be riding with some of my old team mates along with Piggy and Nicola who I have always really admired as riders.”

The four riders who will form the team for the Team Competition at the Games will be selected nearer the time.

A World Equestrian Games includes the eight disciplines of dressage, eventing, showjumping, para-equestrian dressage, driving, endurance, reining and vaulting. The Olympic and Paralympic sports are generously supported by lottery funding via UK Sport but the non-Olympic sports of driving, endurance, reining and vaulting, although supported where possible by the World Class Programme staff during the World Equestrian Games, do not receive direct funding for the event from the Programme.

A variety of fundraising initiatives have been launched to help support the trip to Kentucky for all the British teams. These include an online auction with new exclusive lots added each month and the opportunity to buy Team GBR merchandise which ranges from clothing to a recently launched silver bracelet; generous donations are made to the teams for all items sold. Further information about all the fundraising activities can be found on the official Team GBR website.

All the news and behind the scenes views in the run up to and during the Games can be found on the Team GBR website, including the opportunity to sign up for FREE as a Team GBR Supporter to receive regular updates. Visit www.equestrianteamgbr.co.uk for more details.

The Games take place in Kentucky, USA from Saturday 25th September to Sunday 10th October with the eventing competition taking place between Thursday 30th September and Sunday 3rd October.