Ideal ground and weather conditions, record crowds and a British 1, 2, 3 were the main ingredients of Badminton 2002, with Pippa Funnell and Supreme Rock becoming only the second combination in the history of the event to lead throughout the competition. Hugh Thomas had built a very different Badminton cross country course with the start and finish in the main area for the first time. 'Rider frighteners' of yesteryear had given way to more complicated technical puzzles which tested to the full, the riders training methods and the obedience of the horse.

Darien Powers and Andrew Hoy set the standard on day 1 only to be overhauled at the very end of the dressage phase by the European Champions Supreme Rock and Pippa Funnell.

On cross country day Hoy and Darien Powers made the cross country look like a stroll in the park, putting maximum pressure on those that followed but Pippa Funnell showed her metal with an immaculate cross country round albeit with a few time penalties and William Fox-Pitt on his excitiing new horse Tamarillo also moved into contention. In the showjumping phase it was the Australian who cracked following a touch and go experience in the trot up earlier in the day and Pippa Funnell held it all together to secure her first Mitsubishi Motors Badminton trophy in front of her fellow Brits, William Fox-Pitt and Leslie Law.