The winner of this year's Eventing Grand Prix at the Golden Jubilee Royal International Horse Show will earn an all-terrain car worth £13,500.

The competition, to be held on Friday July 26 and worth a Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin to the winner, is unique to Hickstead and will bear the sponsor's prefix - the Mitsubishi Eventing Grand Prix. It is run over a course combining showjumping and cross country obstacles and has developed into a "needle match" between riders from showjumping and eventing.

This year it will be particularly exciting, as local rider Pippa Funnell - twice European eventing champion and this year's Badminton Horse Trials winner - goes for her fourth win. And she will almost certainly be pressed hard by showjumping star Michael Whitaker, who has twice been narrowly beaten into second place.

Mike Evans, Mitsubishi's dealer principal in Brighton,, said: "We know how exciting this competition is and how popular the all-terrain Shogun Pinin is to people who follow equestrian sports and also want a vehicle to tow their trailers. It will certainly give the riders something to aim for."

The Mitsubishi prize could bring Pippa Funnell's winnings since the competition began five years ago to more than £60,000 - three cars and a cash prize

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