Not born in the saddle

Horsey parents can give children bent on an equestrian livelihood a massive leg-up. But what of those young riders determined to pursue a competitive ridden career despite a different background, asks Gemma Redrup

- Gemma Redrup

INDIA WISHART is managing to carve a career out of horses, despite neither of her parents being horsey. The 24-year-old is based at the Billy Stud, training under the expert eye of Pippa Funnell.

“I remember when I was 11 or 12, I had just read Pippa’s autobiography and I was in the car with Mum, talking her ear off about how amazing Pippa was,” explains India. “I then said, ‘I want to be like Pippa Funnell one day,’ to which my mum replied, ‘Darling, it’s highly unlikely you will ever become Pippa Funnell.’

“I cried and cried and it’s a bit of an embarrassing story to admit to now. The following week, I was having dinner with Dad and I said the same thing to him and he replied, ‘If you want to be Pippa Funnell, you can be’.”

India’s father works in food retail, predominantly working abroad in the Netherlands; her mother looked after the three children. But both parents are keen sportspeople, specialising mostly in cycling, “so they understand the competitive side of things”, says India.

Her passion for riding started at the age of five, when she found herself jealous of her sister riding a friend’s pony around the village. Then India started riding lessons, which she continued once a week for four years.

“I then made a pact with Dad that if I stopped sucking my thumb, I could have a pony of my own,” laughs India. “I didn’t stop sucking my thumb for a year, but I got the pony straight away, so it worked out pretty well for me.”