Ubisoft Sign World's Number One Show Jumper for Stud Farm

In a bold move to capture a new audience (is there really an audience out there for this type of thing?) Ubisoft has announced an equestrian sim endorsed by the most famous name in the sport, Pippa Funnell, and the promisingly-titled - for some of our readers anyway - The Stud Farm Inheritance. Equestrian games are thin on the ground these days - we haven't met one person who'll admit to playing one from this most neglected of genres, but wait...Ubisoft knows a good formula when it sees one, even if it's been done before. The twist this time is horse power instead of horsepower!

Pippa Funnell: The Stud Farm Inheritance's gameplay reads like a description of Gran Turismo/Toca Race Driver: for cross country and show jumping trials simply read off-road rally and fastest lap times. Players assume the role of a young lady called Estelle, and are charged with taking her up the rankings (stop sniggering at the back). You will not be stunned to hear that success brings better equipment and new horses to help game progression.

“Pippa Funnell: The Stud Farm Inheritance is a first for the UK gaming market. This is a game that can appeal to a wide range of people, even those who may not have played videogames before” said John Parkes, marketing director of Ubisoft, “We are incredibly lucky to be working with an icon of the equestrian world such as Pippa - the knowledge and credibility she brings to the game is invaluable.”

The lady herself seems delighted with how things turned out: “It was good to be involved with something so different to what I usually do,” said Funnell. “It’s great to see something I enjoy doing immortalised in a videogame and hopefully it will enable lots more people to get interested in horse riding and eventing!” Riiiight...

Pippa Funnell: The Stud Farm Inheritance is due for release on PC in March.