William Funnell has once again proven his skill winning the Derby at La Baule riding Kannelle de la Baie.

Four Clears 

The Derby in La Baule saw some hugely competitive riding as four competitors went clear and were forced to go against the clock, H&C has learned from Stable Express. However, it was William Funnell with Katinka Traaseth’s thirteen-year-old bay mare Kannelle de la Baie that managed it though by seeing off French rider Julien Epaillard in a time that was almost eight seconds faster.

Big fences no room for error

William was up against some tough competition as La Baule is a single round competition in which riders are made to tackle enormous obstacles at pace with no safety net of a clear round, then picking up the pace in the jump off.  This format often forces riders to make errors, so it was unusual to see four riders going clear making speed the crucial factor. William was fortunate enough to be drawn third from last, allowing him to plan his round. 

William later commented on the win saying: “This has been a brilliant win for us. We brought her here with the Derby in mind and she hasn’t failed us. She won the Flasterbo Derby last year and also came third at Hickstead last year. She’s proving herself to be a superb Derby horse and she really covered the ground today. I was fortunate to be drawn late to go in the class which meant I’d managed to see Julien’s round which meant I knew exactly where I had to be and when if I was going to beat him. Some days things go perfectly to plan and today was one of them. I’m absolutely thrilled”

A World Class Performance 

The World Class Showjumping Performance Manager, Rob Hoekstra further added: “It was a brilliant class today. Derby’s are always popular and this was no exception, the grandstands were packed and the atmosphere fantastic. Will’s round was electrifying and people were on their feet when he came through the finish. A great day for British Showjumping, Will Funnell and Kannelle de la Baie’s owner.”

Derby Results:
1. GBR - William Funnell / Kannelle de la Baie (142.83)
2. FRA - Julien Epaillard / Commissario (149.55)
3. BEL - Jerome Guery / Ramiro de Belle Vue (158.58)