Equestrian legend Pippa Funnell hailed horse Majas Hope after they aced the cross-country course at the 2023 Defender Burghley Horse Trials without a practice run.

Funnell, based near Dorking, raced around Burghley, designed by Derek di Grazia, just outside of the time with 8.8 penalties.

It leaves the 2019 champion on an encouraging score of 38.4 going into tomorrow’s final show jumping phase.

And Funnell was full of praise for her gelding Majas Hope, who could not have made his owner happier with the run.

“We didn’t do a practice run,” the 54-year-old said. “My practice run was the first two or three fences.”

“He was really great, I couldn’t be happier, I thought he was pretty much foot perfect.

“I think I might have wasted a bit of time over the first three fences, I felt I was 10 seconds behind at one minute which is me from the old days with the steeple chase.

“I used to start a bit slow, feel the horse underneath and then get quicker and quicker.

“I thought it was a super course to ride around. You don’t like to think it’s a great course as I walked round, but I could see horses getting into a great rhythm and I felt there was more flow to it.

“I felt it was lovely for them because you could keep it uncomplicated.”

Funnell scored an impressive sub-30 score of 29.6 in Friday’s dressage.

She admitted she was dealing with her nerves going into the first phase and believed that the key to her run was keeping both rider and gelding calm.

“He would be alright, but he can get very wound up and once I did the canter right below the lorries, I got off him,” she added.

“I have a little bit of a issue when I have nerves so I had to nip off him and have a quick wee.

“I got back on him and I walked him straight into the start box. What is so key is to keep his heart rate down.”

Defender Burghley Horse Trials (31st August - 3 September 2023) has been a major international sporting and social event for over 50 years. It attracts the world’s top equestrians and over 170,000 visitors. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk