European Eventing: Sunday Grandstand

In the last four years Pippa Funnell has transformed herself from perennial underachiever to one of Three Day Eventing's biggest names.

The English rider arrives in Punchestown aiming for a third successive European Championship win, a target her recent form suggests is well within range.

Funnell is the form rider, having won the last two eventing titles on offer, Burghley on Sunday 7 September and last weekend's Blenheim Petplan International Horse Trials.

At Blenheim she dominated the final showjumping phase on winner Jurassic Rising and third-placed Viceroy.

Funnell had a fence in hand with Jurassic Rising over Darrell Scaife and Chase the Melody beforehand but when Scaife lowered three, he let in Australia's double-Olympic gold medallist Philip Dutton on Nova Top, who leapt from sixth to be runner-up.

Both Funnell's rides made an error apiece but she was home and dry, moving up a notch with the stallion Viceroy.

"I tried not to think about the pressure and ride them like I do at home, as my husband William told me to," said Funnell.

"It gives me confidence for the future knowing that I can ride under pressure."

Coming second to Pippa is like winning Philip Dutton

A more revealing comment came from Australia's Dutton, who despite his pedigree has become used to finishing behind Funnell.

Paying tribute to his rival's extraordinary achievement of capturing five three-day events in five months, he said: "Coming second to Pippa is like winning."

Of course, the rider is only half of the equation, and Funnell will not be competing with her best-known horse, Supreme Rock, who is injured.

And with Primor's Pride being rested after his recent win at Burghley she will be relying on Walk On Star for the hat-trick bid.

The young horse has won two three-star events, and Funnell says she is happy that he will rise to the challenge at the weekend.

British eyes will also be on the team event, with the four riders bidding for their fifth European Championship in a row.

Britain's team is the same one that won in Pau in 2001; Funnell, Jeanette Brakewell on Over To You, Leslie Law on Shear L'Eau and William Fox-Pitt on Moon Man.

Funnell's passport, money and credit cards were stolen while she was receiving her award at Blenheim - but the odds of her losing her way here are slim.