H&H’s showjumping editor Jennifer Donald speaks to British team rider William Funnell, Billy Stud rider Lucy Townley and groom Zoe Herbert about the Olympic shortlisted 18.2hh Billy Stud home-bred who William describes as “the best I ever had”...
Equine America Billy Diamo
Age: 11
Breeding: Cevin Z x Andiamo
Rider: William Funnell
Owner/breeder: The Billy Stud
Greatest achievements: represented Great Britain in Nations Cup of Drammen (2020) and St Gallen (2019); third in the 1.60m CSI5* grand prix at Windsor (2019); double clear in the World Cup qualifier at Sharjah (2020); runner-up in the CSI3* grand prix at Abu Dhabi (2020); third in the CSI4* grand prix at Liverpool (2018).
Rider William Funnell on Billy Diamo
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"}
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H&H showjumping editor
Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.