We choose some of the best moments from the past 30 years since the Longines Royal International Horse Show moved to Hickstead
Did you know that this summer marks 30 years since the Longines Royal International Horse Show moved to Hickstead? The show had been held at a number of venues since it first took place in 1907, including Olympia, Wembley Arena and the White City Stadium. After a spell at Birmingham's NEC, it moved to Hickstead in 1992 where it has remained ever since.
To mark our 30 year anniversary, we take a look back through the archives to choose some of the standout moments from the past three decades.
1) Hickstead had been hosting the British leg of the Nations Cup since the 1970s, and started hosting the Royal International Horse Show in 1992, but it wasn’t until 1998 that the Nations Cup moved to become part of the show instead of being run as a separate fixture. In 1992, Tina Cassan – now Fletcher – helped the British team to victory with a double clear on Genesis, and two weeks later the pair returned to Hickstead for the Royal International and won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup for the first time.
2) The show’s move to Hickstead proved a fortuitous one for Michael Whitaker, who won the first King George V Gold Cup to be held there in 1992. His win came courtesy of Midnight Madness, and the pair won the same class again two years later.
3) Since 2002, the ponies have had their own supreme championship to compete for the Dick Saunders Trophy, but before then the ponies had to hold their own against the horses in the Winston Churchill. The first to win the Winston Churchill was the prolific 148cm riding pony Royal Bronze in 1993, followed by fellow riding pony champion Trelawn Playboy who took the overall supreme in 2001.
4) Former racehorse trainer John Dunlop had an extraordinary run in the Winston Churchill Cup, with his horses winning three years in a row. Red Hand won in 1997 and 1998, then Statesman II won in 1999 to complete the hat-trick.
5) The first ever Eventing Grand Prix took place in 1998 and it involved showjumpers going head-to-head against the eventers. The class initially included a dressage test, and the eventers dominated the inaugural class, with Pippa Funnell winning on The Tourmaline Rose, the late Polly Phillips coming second with Coral Cove and the future Olympic champions Blyth Tait and Ready Teddy finishing third.
6) Nick Skelton has produced many stand out performances in the King George V Gold Cup, winning a total of four times, with the latter three wins all taking place at Hickstead. In 1993 he produced the only clear round to win outright with Limited Edition, then in 1996 he claimed a third win with Cathleen, and in 1999 he had his final win in the class, this time thanks to Hopes Are High. The latter win was quite extraordinary because two days earlier the horse had to pull out of the Nations Cup mid-competition after a first-round clear, having caught a pole between his legs in the collecting ring and being too sore to jump. But he was fine by the final day of the show, and went quickest of a 10-horse jump-off.
7) US rider Laura Kraut made a winning debut at Hickstead when claiming the 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Anthem. She has since gone on to win a number of international classes at the show.
8) The two showing Supreme finals on the Sunday of the show allow the week’s champions to come forward for one last judging. With no go-round, the competitors only have one chance to impress the judges, and that’s by producing a stand-out individual show. We’ve had some unforgettable moments over the years, such as riders standing on their horse’s saddle, toasting the crowd with champagne, riding through the lake… But who could forget Oliver Hood riding cob champion Chaplin up the Derby bank in 2015? Fortunately they didn’t attempt to come down the steepest side on the way back down!
9) The late great Tim Stockdale had always dreamed of winning the King George V Gold Cup, and in 2009 he felt he had missed out on his best chance, having hit the final fence in the jump-off with Corlato to lose out to Peter Charles. But 12 months later Tim came back and won on board Fresh Direct Kalico Bay, achieving his lifelong ambition.
10) Michael Whitaker was the first showjumper to win the Eventing Grand Prix – though he had to borrow an event horse to do it! His win on Chris Ward’s Sir Dino came in 2003.
11) The great Irish mare Flo Jo relished the International Arena at Hickstead, and never more so than when winning the Queen Elizabeth II Cup two years in a row with Marion Hughes in 1995 and 1996.
12) After the Nations Cup was moved to become a feature class at the Royal International Horse Show, the Brits had to wait a further five years to celebrate a home victory. In 2003, a team comprising Nick Skelton, Robert Smith, Scott Smith and Richard Davenport secured the win, with Nick jumping double clear on Arko III, the horse who had inspired him to take up showjumping again after breaking his neck three years earlier.
13) Jayne Ross has collected an impressive tally of five British Horse Society Supreme Horse titles. One of her most popular wins was on board the stunning hunter mare Time 2 Reflect, who had back-to-back victories in 2015 and 2016. She clinched the Winston Churchill both times with an effortless gallop around the Longines International Arena.
14) Trevor Breen has won nearly every one of Hickstead’s feature classes, including the Derby and Speed Derby at our June meeting, the All England Grand Prix at our national championships, and the Eventing Grand Prix and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at the Longines Royal International Horse Show. All those wins came on just one horse – the fabulous Adventure De Kannan. ‘Addy’ was even more remarkable because he had had an eye removed later in his career yet still continued to jump at the top level. Trevor was also part of the winning team at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Great Britain in 2018 on the grey mare Bombay. Amazingly, his brother Shane has won all of the same classes so they just have to win the King George V Gold Cup to complete the set!
15) In the history of the Eventing Grand Prix, there has never been a more prolific partnership than Gary Parsonage and Peter Street, who won the class an impressive four times.
16) There’s no better feeling for a rider than having a winning streak, and that was certainly the case for Irish rider Billy Twomey in 2016. He scored an amazing four international wins in the space of a week, including the Longines King George V Gold Cup with the chestnut mare Lizziemary.
17) The cob Super Ted was an extraordinary show horse, giving Robert Oliver an amazing run of eight supreme cob championships in a row from 1987 to 1994, with the latter two wins coming at Hickstead. The pair also took the Winston Churchill two years running, but before the show was held here at the All England Jumping Course.
18) Another prolific Hickstead winner is Doonaveeragh O One, a former event horse turned showjumper. Having won the British Speed Derby and been placed in the Derby under jump jockey Robbie Power, his sister Esib reclaimed the ride and went on to win the Eventer’s Challenge at the 2016 Longines Royal International Horse Show.
19) Before 2008, the King George V Gold Cup was restricted to male riders only, while the Queen Elizabeth II Cup was only open to ladies. But that all changed when an update to the rules meant both sexes could compete for the feature Grand Prix, while the Queen’s Cup became a prestigious national title open to the highest-ranked British-based riders only. The first man to ever win the Queen’s was Hickstead’s own Shane Breen in 2008 with Carmena Z, and he repeated the win in 2013 with Zarnita. It earned him the nickname Queen Breen!
20) Only one woman has lifted the Longines King George V Gold Cup – and that’s Beezie Madden, who won in 2014 with Cortes C. Not satisfied with winning it once, they came back and won it again the following year too to make them the only back-to-back winners since the class has been held at Hickstead.
21) Robert and Sarah Walker had an unforgettable day at the Royal International in 2021, when taking both the champion and reserve spots in the Brereton Supreme Hack Championship. Robert rode small hack victor Parkgate Royal Visit William to take the tricolour, with wife Sarah standing reserve with the large hack Forgeland Hyde Park.
22) After winning the British Nations Cup for the first time in 1937, Ireland had a 63-year wait before winning it again! In 2000, the Irish team of Cameron Hanley, Cian O'Connor, Dermott Lennon and Kevin Babington ended up victorious over the home side. It was an especially good show for the Irish, with Hanley also taking the Longines King George V Gold Cup.
23) Ben Maher counts his 2013 win in the Longines King George V Gold Cup as one of the most prestigious of his career – and for the reigning Olympic champion with countless Grands Prix to his name, that’s saying something! His win came on board Tripple X, the horse who also took him to Olympic team gold in 2012. When Tripple X was retired from competition in 2019, he returned to the scene of one of his greatest moments for an emotional farewell ceremony in the Longines International Arena.
24) Sweden had never won the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Great Britain, until 2019 when the in-form squad of Peder Fredricson, Fredrik Jonsson, Angelie von Essen and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson lifted the trophy for the first time. Such was their dominance that day, fourth rider Rolf-Goran didn’t even need to jump the second round for the Swedes to take the title.
25) No pony had ever won the Dick Saunders Trophy two years running until Dance All Night did just that in 2012 and 2013. His first win came under Lucinda Elliott, and his second came under her sister Sami. Incredibly, the show pony was just four years old when taking the supreme for the first time.
26) Show producer turned dressage rider Louise Bell won the Supreme Working Hunter championship four years in a row with the great Rocky IV, so it’s only fitting that the winner of this class is presented with a trophy named in his honour.
27) Australian event rider Paul Tapner showed some precision planning when claiming the Eventer’s Challenge two years running with Bonza King of Rouges, very narrowly missing out on a hat-trick when finishing runner-up behind Nicky Hill in 2019.
28) The last time Britain won its home leg of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup series was back in 2010, the year the showground was celebrating its 50th The quartet of Tina Fletcher, William Funnell, Peter Charles and Michael Whitaker led from start to finish to secure victory in front of a jubilant crowd. It’s been 12 years since the last home win – will this year finally see another British victory?
29) Britain’s performance manager Di Lampard and her most famous horse, Abbervail Dream, had an excellent record in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup – winning in 1994 and 1998, and finishing runner-up a further three times.
30) One man has dominated the British Horse Society Supreme Horse Championship at Hickstead, and that’s Allister Hood. The Norfolk showman has won an incredible nine titles in total, with his ninth and final one courtesy of the prolific cob Our Cashel Blue. The pair immediately retired after being selected champions for the second time last summer, in what was a hugely touching ceremony. Our Cashel Blue’s saddle was removed and he was led out of the arena, while Allister’s fellow show producers formed a guard of honour to pay tribute to a true gentleman of the sport with a Hickstead record like no other.
15 outstanding moments from the Royal International
Hickstead's Press Officer Victoria Goff takes a look back at some of the best moments from last month's Royal International Horse Show
Young guns
They are two of the best under-25 riders in the world, and last year they stood first and second in the King George V Gold Cup. Victoria Goff caught up with Gilles Thomas and Harry Charles
Quick as a Flash
Victoria Goff spoke to Gemma Stevens, last year's winner of the Ashby Underwriting Eventers' Challenge
A view from the Press Office: June 2023
Hickstead's Press Officer Victoria Goff takes a look at some of the standout moments from the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting
Showing's standout moments from 2022
We take a look back at the best moments from the show ring at the 2022 Royal International Horse Show
Home turf
Shane Breen chats to Victoria Goff about finally winning the Al Shira'aa Derby, after nearly 20 years of trying
An Olympic ambition
Victoria Goff visits Al Shira'aa Farms, to find out more about their journey in showjumping.
Career change
It's been nearly two decades since the first RoR showing championship took place at Hickstead. Victoria Goff finds out more about transforming former racehorses into showing stars
In his prime
He's been one of the most consistent horses in the history of the Hickstead Derby - Victoria Goff finds out more about Harriet Biddick's remarkable horse A Touch Imperious
An outright victory
Clear rounds are a rarity in the Hickstead Derby, and often the class is won by a single first round clear. Victoria Goff takes a look back through the roll of honour
Hickstead's Christmas 2022 countdown
We count down our best moments from a brilliant year here at the All England Jumping Course
10 best moments from this year's Royal International
This year’s Longines Royal International Horse Show was a cracker – and wasn’t it wonderful to have five-star showjumping back at Hickstead where it belongs? Hickstead's Press Officer Victoria Goff picks out her top 10 moments from this year’s show.
The view from the Press Office - June 2022
Hickstead's Press Officer Victoria Goff reflects on a fabulous week at the Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting.
Superb Swedes
Victoria Goff reflects on the current strength and depth of the Swedish showjumping team
Thirty glorious years
Hickstead's Press Officer Victoria Goff looks back over three brilliant decades of the Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead
Magical moments from the Royal International
We choose some of the best moments from the past 30 years since the Longines Royal International Horse Show moved to Hickstead
Doney’s legacy
We pay tribute to Jon Doney, a highly-respected FEI official and an important part of Hickstead's team for many years
Doing the double
Only a select band of riders have won the British Jumping Derby and the British Speed Derby - Victoria Goff reveals which famous equestrians hold the honour of winning both
Teenage Dreams
In 2019, 19-year-old Michael Pender became the youngest ever rider to win the Hickstead Derby. Victoria Goff sat down to chat with him about his win
The Hickstead Derby in numbers
In 2022 we’ll see the 60th running of the Al Shira’aa Derby, one of the most iconic classes in showjumping. We take a look back over the decades at the Hickstead Derby in numbers.
60 facts about the Hickstead Derby
How well do you know the history of the famous Al Shira'aa Derby?
The 60th Hickstead Derby
The 60th Al Shira'aa Derby takes place in June 2022. Victoria Goff looks back on the history of Hickstead's most famous class
Harriet Nuttall Q&A
Showjumper Harriet Nuttall has an extraordinary record at Hickstead, having won the Science Supplements Speed Derby twice, the Science Supplements BHS Queen Elizabeth II Cup and the Science Supplements All England Grand Prix - plus finishing runner-up three times in the Al Shira'aa Derby. Alex Irwin caught up with her to find out more about what makes her tick.
Holly Smith Q&A
Alex Irwin caught up with Hickstead star Holly Smith at the Science Supplements All England Jumping Championships
The unstoppable Irish
Victoria Goff looks back at Ireland's stunning win in the 2018 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Great Britain, and goes back into the history books to remember the other memorable Irish wins at Hickstead
William’s fabulous four
William Funnell joined the elite band of four-time winners of the Hickstead Derby last summer. Victoria Goff spoke to him about what it means to join the likes of Harvey Smith, Eddie Macken and brothers John and Michael Whitaker.
Top Speed
We take a look back over the history of the British Speed Derby.
By Victoria Goff
Five of the best
Five riders share the record of having four wins in the Hickstead Derby. Victoria Goff takes a look through the archives to relive these legendary performances.
Coming of age
A few days before his 21st birthday, James Whitaker scored his first major Hickstead win. Victoria Goff caught up with him ahead of the 2019 Longines Royal International Horse Show.
A Platinum President
The BHS President Martin Clunes is a regular visitor to Hickstead. Victoria Goff finds out more about his role at the British Horse Society, and why he loves coming to our shows
10 magical showing moments
We take a look back over some of the standout showing moments from the 2017 season
Perfect Timing
Paul Tapner talks to Hickstead Press Officer Victoria Goff about his first win in the MS Amlin Eventers' Challenge
Miss Consistent
Harriet Nuttall proved she's no Hickstead bridesmaid, when adding yet another major title to her CV last summer. Victoria Goff caught up with the reigning Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner
Fiesta Time
Brazil had an extraordinary run of form at last year's Longines Royal International Horse Show. Victoria Goff finds out more.
Worth the wait
Victoria Goff describes the wait Nigel Coupe had before he finally become the Al Shira'aa Derby Champion in 2017.
Doing it for Ella
Hickstead's press officer Victoria Goff caught up with Matthew Sampson, the winner of the Bunn Leisure Speed Derby
Race against time
Victoria Goff takes a look back at some of the famous Hickstead Derby jump-offs that have taken place over the years.
A New Era
Victoria Goff finds out more about Al Shira'aa, the title sponsors of the Hickstead Derby
12 moments we loved at this year’s Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting
The Al Shira’aa Derby drew our June fixture to a close, and what a way to round off four fabulous sunny days of showjumping and showing. We take a look back at some of the best moments of this year’s show.
#RoadToHickstead contenders reveal...
We ask some of our leading Al Shira'aa Derby contenders some killer questions.
Harriet and Nigel go head-to-head
Two of the main Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby contenders, Harriet Nuttall and Nigel Coupe, discuss this year's challenge.
Hickstead Q&A - Hamad Ali Al Kirbi
UAE rider Hamad Ali Al Kirbi made his Hickstead debut last summer when he competed at the Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting. We caught up with him ahead of this year's show.
Can you spot our Mystery Guests?
We're very busy preparing the International Arena ahead of this year's Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting CSI4*, and with spring being somewhat late to arrive this year we've had to ask some special guests to join our Ground Crew!
Billy the King
Ireland's Billy Twomey enjoyed an amazing run of success at the 2016 BHS Royal International Horse Show, including a win in the Longines BHS King George V Gold Cup. Victoria Goff spoke to him about his golden run.
A home from home
Hickstead is very familiar stomping ground for David Simpson, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner in 2016. Victoria Goff spoke to him about winning on 'home territory'.
The One to Watch
In the run up to the 2017 Longines Royal International Horse Show, Hickstead Press Officer Victoria Goff caught up with Amlin Plus Eventers' Challenge winner Esib Power.
The nation's favourites
Earlier this year, we asked you to vote for your favourite Derby-winning horses. Victoria Spicer counts down your top 10.
An unforgettable Adventure
Adventure De Kannan is one of the most successful Hickstead horses of recent times. Victoria Goff looks back at the remarkable career of the one-eyed wonder horse
William Whitaker: How to win the Derby
The 2016 Hickstead Derby winner William Whitaker shares his winning formula!
William Whitaker: Advice for Hickstead newcomers
If you haven't ridden at the All England Jumping Course before, the 2016 Hickstead Derby champion William Whitaker shares his insights into competing here.
William Whitaker: The perfect warm-up
The current Hickstead Derby champion William Whitaker explains how to nail your warm-up routine, both at home and at competitions.
William Whitaker: Winning a jump-off
Want to nail those jump-off rounds? Hickstead Derby 2016 champion William Whitaker shares his advice, and suggests two training exercises to improve your performance against the clock.
William Whitaker's training secrets
In the run up to this year’s Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting, reigning Derby champion William Whitaker shares his showjumping training insights.
Words by Victoria Spicer, photos by Daisy Honeybunn
6 links between Hickstead and the Grand National
The home of British Showjumping and the most famous race on earth have more in common than you might think, writes Victoria Spicer...
A winning debut
Chloe Winchester, winner of the Templant Events Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 2015, chats to Victoria Spicer about her winning debut at Hickstead
Elizabeth the first
Last year Elizabeth 'Beezie' Madden became the first woman ever to win the Longines King George V Gold Cup. In 2015, she did it again. Hickstead's Press Officer Victoria Spicer caught up with America's first lady of showjumping.
12 moments we loved at this year's Derby meeting
There was rain, there was mud, but much more importantly there was some brilliant competition at this year's Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby Meeting. We choose our top 12 moments from this year's show.
Back on top
Hickstead Press Officer Victoria Spicer chats to the connections of Loughnatousa WB, a horse who holds a very special record in the Derby...
Three in a row
Journalist Andrew Baldock takes a look back over the Hickstead archives at the three riders who have won the Derby three times in succession - and finds out which other riders came close...
A cool guy
Victoria Spicer chats to Guy Williams, the winner of the 2015 British Speed Derby, about setting records and why Hickstead will always be special to him
Eight great Derby rivalries
There have been some amazing clashes in the 56 years of the Hickstead Derby. Pippa Cuckson takes a look at some of the great rivalries over the years...
Breen’s Derby dream comes true
Hickstead's Press Officer Victoria Spicer chats to the 2014 winner of the Equestrian.com Derby, Trevor Breen.
Five Minutes with Fran Callan
Continuing our new Five Minutes With... series, we caught up with Fran Callan, the head travelling groom for Trevor Breen. As part of her job, she looks after Hickstead megastar and reigning Equestrian.com Derby winner Adventure De Kannan...
Miller's tale
Victoria Spicer meets Phillip Miller, winner of the 2013 Hickstead Derby, to talk about his rise from riding school lessons to Hickstead champion.
A lesson with Derby winner Phillip Miller
When we ran an exclusive Hickstead Derby Community competition to win a lesson with the 2013 Derby winner Phillip Miller, we had a great response. In the end, we selected 25-year-old Jodine Brooks from Kent and her seven-year-old Dutch gelding, Camorasun.
15 facts about the Derby course
From poles that 'twang', resident newts and motorway fences turned into showjumps, Victoria Spicer investigates 15 things that you might not know about the most famous course in British showjumping...
Five minutes with Phillip Miller
Her latest victim in the 'Five Minutes With Series…', Daisy sits down with natural born comedian and Hickstead Derby superstar, 2013 winner Phillip Miller…
Five minutes with Bob Ellis
Daisy Bunn is back in the interviewer's chair this week with Hickstead's very own Bob The Buider, world renowned, Olympic course builder Bob Ellis...
10 iconic Derby moments
Last seen disappearing into our dusky archives, Hickstead Press Officer and journalist Victoria Goff has put together a review of 10 of our most iconic Derby moments over the years
Five Minutes with Steve Wilde
Continuing our new Five Minutes With... interview series, Hickstead Director Daisy Bunn sits down with Hickstead's 'golden tonsils', commentator and Director of Ceremonies Steve Wilde...
Five minutes with Daisy Bunn
As part of a new series, exclusively for our HDC members, Hickstead Director Daisy Bunn is going to catch key members of the Hickstead team for mini 5 minute interviews, to give our members a unique, behind-the-scenes take on everything Hickstead. Who better to start with than Daisy herself!
The best of the best
Equestrian journalist Charlotte Ricca-Smith asks Hickstead Derby winners to name the performance - apart from their own! - that impressed them most.
A Hickstead first
In 2013, Paul Beecher became the first person to produce a clear round having been drawn first to go in the Hickstead Derby, then go on to win the class. Victoria Spicer spoke to him about his achievement.
A National treasure
Harvey Smith is the only man to have won both the Hickstead Derby and trained a Grand National winner. Victoria Spicer reflects on his remarkable achievement.
Olympic heroes
Did you know that three out of the four showjumping gold medallists from London 2012 are past winners of the Hickstead Derby? Victoria Spicer catches up with them to find out what those wins meant.
CONTACT US
THE ALL ENGLAND JUMPING COURSE HICKSTEAD HASSOCKS WEST SUSSEX BN6 9NS Tel: +44 1273 834315 Fax: +44 1273 834452 View our Privacy Policy.
EVENTS
& TICKETS
MEMBERSHIP
& SPONSORSHIP
