Talk Horse

In this Talk Horse mini episode recorded at Pippa's home and training facility in Surrey, Yoshiaki Oiwa (Yoshi) joins us to tell the story behind one of the most historic moments in Japanese horse sport. At Paris 2024, Yoshi helped Japan claim team eventing bronze, the country’s first Olympic equestrian medal in 92 years, while also finishing seventh individually. And he did it riding a horse Pipp...

If you've not listened to Part one of our extraordinary conversation between Mark Todd, Pippa and Tristan - go back and listen now. Today we dive deeper into the extraordinary career and legacy of one of eventing’s greatest ever riders. After stepping away from elite competition for eight years, Sir Mark returned to the sport and somehow found himself straight back on the Olympic stage - a remarka...

Widely regarded as one of the greatest event riders of all time, Sir Mark Todd’s career is the stuff of legend. In part one of this deep dive, we explore the journey of a man who crossed generations, broke records, and redefined the sport of eventing. From his harrowing first international experience at the 1978 World Championships in Kentucky, to his Badminton breakthrough. How a "shaggy little p...

It's Royal Ascot week! So who else to guide Pippa and Tristan through the glory and glamour of the occasion that ones of the most successful jockeys of his generation, Jim Crowley. Born in the shadow of Ascot racecourse, Jim shares his remarkable journey from pony racing, to massive success jump racing to making the bold and ultimately triumphant switch to the flat. Jim opens up about the relentle...

Jodie Hall McAteer has horses in her blood. Growing up in one of Britain's best-known showjumping families, she has gone from Pony European gold medallist to representing Great Britain on the world stage, becoming one of the country's most exciting young riders. Now a regular competitor on the Global Champions Tour and Nations Cup teams, Jodie has represented Great Britain at some of the biggest s...

The only way we could get an interview with Carl Hester was by chasing him down in a miniature Land Rover. As podcast booking strategies go, it's surprisingly effective 😂 Olympic Champion Carl Hester joins Talk Horse for a special episode recorded at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Widely regarded as one of the greatest dressage riders of all time, Carl reflects on his extraordinary career, the set...

We’re back with another episode from Royal Windsor🐎🎙️ We’re joined by Robert LeMieux, equestrian innovator and founder of the hugely successful LeMieux brand. Robert shares his journey into the horse world, from his early experiences in Kentucky to a baptism of fire working as a de facto groom for the Irish team at the World Championships. We also get into the story behind building one of equestr...

This week, Talk Horse comes live from the iconic Royal Windsor Horse Show for the first of two special on-location episode, and we’re joined straight from the showing ring by one of the sport’s true greats, Jayne Ross. A legend of the showing world, Jayne has spent decades at the very top of the sport. She first found success at Horse of the Year Show back in 1966, winning the Pony of the Year tit...

He turned horseshoeing into one of the biggest TikTok sensations in the UK. This week on Talk Horse, Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps are joined by professional farrier and social media phenomenon Sam Dracott. From shoeing horses full-time to building an audience of more than 7 million followers online, Sam reveals how one hoof-cleaning video exploded into the most viewed TikTok in the UK. Sam exp...

Olympian, Badminton winner and one of the greatest riders the sport of eventing has ever seen. We were so keen to get her on that we had to whisk her into the studio, even though Tristan wasn’t around, so this week Pippa is flying solo in this incredible Badminton special. Lucinda Green joins Talk Horse to share the stories, lessons and mindset behind an extraordinary career. She reflects on her e...

Best known as the creator behind Life on the Left Rein social channels, Tina has built a loyal following by sharing the real, unfiltered side of grassroots eventing, the highs, the setbacks, and everything in between. Tina opens up about getting her first horse until her mid-20s, and the financial and emotional reality of competing as an amateur. She reflects on her partnership with Banksy, the ho...

This week on Talk Horse, Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps are joined by one of the most recognisable faces in modern equestrian media, Esme Higgs, better known online as This Esme. Starting out as a young rider sharing her horsey life on YouTube, Esme has grown her channel into one of the biggest equestrian platforms in the world, reaching millions of viewers across more than 170 countries. But be...

Dressage rider Sadie Smith joins Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps on this week’s Talk Horse to talk about life inside one of equestrian sport’s most precise and demanding disciplines. Sadie became British Dressage National Champion at Grand Prix level in 2025, made her World Cup debut at the London International Horse Show, and was shortlisted for the FEI European Dressage Championships. Known for...

From Peckham to Goodwood… this is a story that changed British racing. Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps sit down with Khadijah Mellah, the trailblazing jockey who stunned the racing world when she won the Magnolia Cup at Goodwood in 2019. The first hijab-wearing jockey to ride in a competitive horse race in Britain, let alone win. Growing up in Peckham with no racing background, Khadijah’s journey...

What does it take to build an Olympic medal-winning eventing team and keep horses performing at the very highest level? This week on Talk Horse, we’re joined by one of the most respected figures in the equine world - Yogi Breisner. From competing at the Olympics himself to leading the British Eventing Team through four consecutive Games as Team Performance Manager, Yogi has shaped some of the bigg...

Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps are joined by Ben Atkinson, one of the UK’s most electrifying equestrian performers, stunt riders and horse trainers. From standing astride galloping horses in Roman Riding to commanding teams with nothing but voice and body in Liberty, Ben isn’t just a rider… he’s a true action star on horseback. Raised in a family of elite horsemen, Ben was performing by the age...

Pippa and Tristan are joined by a true powerhouse of the equine world this week. If you don't know Nat's story - then you really should! From being fired because of her passion for horses to raising over £1 million in a national campaign to save her riding school, Natalie O’Rourke MBE has one of the most remarkable stories in grassroots equestrian sport. As the founder of Park Lane Stables in Sout...

It's Cheltenham week! And who better to join Pippa and Tristan this special week than one of jump racing’s most successful riders, Nico de Boinville. As the principal jockey for Champion Trainer Nicky Henderson, Nico has ridden more than 800 winners, claimed over 50 Grade 1 victories and celebrated many wins at the legendary Cheltenham Festival - including on Old Park Star this week - winning the...

We’re back for Series 3 of Talk Horse! Did you miss us? We’re kicking things off in style with a guest hot off a flight from LA. Actor Joe Ashman, otherwise known as Callum in Netflix’s epic equine drama Free Rein, sits down with Olympic eventer Pippa Funnell and Made in Chelsea star Tristan Phipps to discuss all things horse. How he exaggerated his riding ability to land his dream role, why Free...

In the last of our live specials, Pippa and Tristan speak to the incredible Boyd Exell. Our first guest from the world of carriage driving and what a man to start with. One of the most decorated four-in-hand carriage drivers in history, Boyd has been crowned World Champion seven times in combined driving and has won the FEI World Cup Driving Final an unprecedented 11 times, more than any other dri...

In this special episode, recorded live on stage at the London International Horse Show, Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps are joined by three members of one of the most iconic families in showjumping, the Whitakers. John Whitaker is one of our most requested guests and you can see why. With a career spanning more than 40 years, he’s won everything there is to win, including three Olympic medals, fi...

In the first of these specials, recorded live at the London International Horse Show, Pippa and Tristan are joined by one of showjumping’s most respected figures and one of its most exciting rising talents, Norwegian showjumping father and son duo Geir Gulliksen and Johan Gulliksen, live on stage. Geir, or Jimmy as he’s known to his friends, shares his knowledge after decades at the top of interna...

We're feeling festive in the studio and we hope you are too! In the last episode before our Christmas break Pippa and Tristan are joined by one of the most successful and enduring figures in international showjumping, Laura Kraut. Representing the USA across multiple Olympics, Laura is a team gold medallist from Beijing 2008 and team silver medallist from Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024. This also marks...

Get ready for a festive, feel-good episode of Talk Horse as Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps team up with Equine America and welcome long-time friend and industry powerhouse Lee Middleton. Lee’s journey takes us from navigating school with dyslexia to becoming a horse dentist, popularising innovative air safety jackets and eventually leading one of the biggest names in equine supplements. He share...

Pippa Funnell and Tristan Phipps are joined by the incredible Lydia Heywood, the event rider shaking up the equestrian world. She’s the force behind Cool Ridings, a platform opening doors for new talent and championing inclusion across the sport. Demystifying the equine world by sharing knowledge and embracing horse lovers from underrepresented backgrounds. Representing Jamaica, mentoring young ri...