A Horse & Hound Podcast Advertising Series with Champion

We are excited to launch episode five of The Champion Safety Series, a Horse & Hound Podcast Advertising Series, in which regular host Pippa Roome talks to multi-medal winning British eventer Pippa Funnell about her role mentoring the talented young riders who are selected for the Windrush Equestrian Foundation.

During this episode, Pippa Roome kicks off the discussion by speaking to Mariachiara Apruzzese, chief executive of the Windrush Equestrian Foundation, about how and why the foundation was set up and how it works. Past and present Windrush riders Will Furlong and Kristina Hall-Jackson also chat about their experiences on the programme, which is supported by Champion.

Mariachiara Apruzzese, Windrush chief executive, explains: “The Windrush Equestrian Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in memory of Christina Knudsen, who was an owner and eventer. Just before receiving her horrendous cancer diagnosis, she bought a property near Cheltenham, which she called Windrush (as it was always windy there), and she was going to set up her horses there. But after eight short months, she passed away.

“She knew she was in a very lucky position to be able to do her passion and event, but also wanted to help young riders achieve their dreams. Before she passed away she said she wanted to help riders achieve their dreams in eventing, just like she had had the opportunity to do. The aim of the foundation is to bring education and training to talented young event riders, to support their futures and help them build a career while keeping always the welfare of the horse at the heart of the programme.

“It is now a two-year programme – riders receive mentoring and training from Pippa Funnell, both individual and group training. We also have the support of Yogi Breisner, who helps the riders at events and is also present at some of the training sessions. The programme includes both training and education sessions. It’s not only training on the horse, which is obviously a key part, but also working with the riders individually to give them all the tools they need to make a sustainable business out of their career in eventing.”

This is the fifth in a six-part podcast series, produced in partnership with Champion. You can listen online here or via your favourite podcast app.