Hurrah! It's that time of year again, when PONY office goss circles around cross-country calamities and celeb spotting! Yup, Badminton Horse Trials fever has well and truly set in, and we couldn't help but try and get some inside info on the main event. And we've come up trumps, managing to grab hold of top eventer Pippa Funnell for some juicy goss...

PS: Thanks to cool horsey photographer Kit Houghton for the pic!

Bonkers about Badders!

When did you first watch Badminton? When I was about eight years old

When did you first ride around Badminton? In 1988

Do those massive fences get any less scary?! Never!

Have you ever taken a dunk in the Badminton lake? Thankfully, no!

What’s your best memory of Badminton? Winning it for the first time, on Supreme Rock (aka Rocky)

Faves!

Fave horse to ride around Badminton? Supreme Rock

Fave Badminton cross-country fence? The last one, when it's all gone well! 

And your least fave? The gate at Huntsman's Close - I've hit the deck there a few times!

Fave day at Badminton? Cross-country day!

Fave part of the whole event? The buzz of a good cross-country round!

Fave thing to wear at Badders? Jeans and Toggi gear when I'm walking the course

Fave other competitors? Tina Cook and William Fox-Pitt!

Quick questions!

Refusal or run-out? Refusal!

Cross country: first up or last to go? First up!

Put on a tail bandage or plait a mane? Plait a mane

Top hat and tails or cross-country gear? Cross-country gear

Water jump or ditch? Ditch!

And finally...

Top tip for competing? Try not to let nerves get the better of you!

Thanks Pippa, great advice!

Pippa is a Trustee of horsey charity World Horse Welfare (formerly the ILPH), which has been chosen as Badminton's Charity of the Year for 2010! So if you're heading to Badders this year, pop along and say hello to WHW - you'll find 'em lurking at stand 99!

Find out more about Badders here, and check out loads more cool eventing stuff in the PONY gallery!