Pippa Funnell is the first woman to become eventing's world number one. She was born Pippa Nolan in 1968 and, with her first horse, Sir Barnaby, went from pony-club level to Badminton, en route winning the European Young Rider title in 1987. Her numerous victories include back-to-back European Championships in 1991 and 2001, and back-to-back Olympic silver medals in 2000 and 2004. She is the first winner of the Rolex Grand Slam, in 2003, and has won Badminton three times, in 2002, 2003 and 2005. In 2003 she was awarded the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year. In 2005 she was awarded an MBE in the Birthday Honours List. Pippa is married to the international show jumper William Funnell and lives in Surrey.
Clare Balding, a Cambridge graduate, was elected President of the Union in 1992. She was a good all-rounder in sport, and was champion lady rider in 1990 and leading amateur flat jockey in 1989 and 1990. Clare was honoured with the Horse Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) Racing Journalist of the Year Award in 2003 and in 2004 she won both the HWPA Sir Peter O'Sullevan Broadcaster of the Year award and the prestigious Royal Television Society Sports Presenter of the Year award. In 2009, she was praised for "perfect presentation" by the judges of the Broadcast Awards who named the Grand National 2008 as their sports programme of the year.
