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.
1961
The year the first Hickstead Derby took place. A year after opening the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead founder Douglas Bunn decided he wanted to create a jumping Derby – a sporting event that the public would take to its heart like the Grand National or the Boat race. Having been inspired by watching old cine reel footage of the Hamburg Derby, he set about designing the course, drawing inspiration from local landmarks as well as the hunting field.
60
The number of entrants in the first Derby. Despite misgivings about the Derby Bank, which was unlike anything British riders had faced before, a large field came forward for the first event, no doubt drawn by the sizeable prize fund for that time. It was won by Ireland’s Seamus Hayes and Goodbye III, with Seamus declaring beforehand that he had come to show the other riders ‘How to jump the bloody bank!’
14.2hh
The height of Stroller, the extraordinary pony ridden by Marion Coakes (later Mould). The pair won the Derby in 1967, but during their career they jumped three clear rounds in total round the Derby course, finishing second twice and third once.
10ft 6in
The height of the famous Derby Bank. Douglas Bunn had headed to Hamburg on New Year’s Eve 1960 to set about measuring their Derby course in a snowstorm. Hickstead’s Bank ended up being six inches higher than Hamburg’s version, though it’s unclear whether that was due to the falling snow making his measurements tricky, or just because of Douglas’s competitive nature!
1m
The smallest fence on the course – the upright on top of the Derby Bank. But even though it’s tiny compared to the other fences, it’s still tricky to clear. Horses must approach slowly, pop over it and then immediately collect before navigating the slope of the Bank itself.
1.60m
The height of the biggest fences on the course, including the black gate (fence 4), the wall (fence 5), the rails at the bottom of the bank (fence 9), the Derby rails (fence 12) and the Balustrade (fence 14).
2m
The width of the oxer (fence 2), the privet hedge (fence 6) and the final rustic spread (fence 16).
1963
Perhaps the craziest Derby year of all! There were no clears that year, although David Barker and Mister Softee (later ridden by David Broome) left all the fences standing but slipped and fell on the flat. Ted Edgar jumped round the course one-handed, having hurt an arm in a schooling accident that left him in a sling. Four riders went through to the jump-off, with Nelson Pessoa and Gran Geste the fastest of these. Not that the Brazilian could receive his trophy, as it has been stolen from a shop window in central London before the class!
5
Only five women have ever won the Derby – Pat Smythe (1962), Marion Coakes (1967), Alison Dawes (1968 and 1973), Anneli Drummond-Hay (1969) and Tina Fletcher (2011).
2
The number of fingers Harvey Smith held up in his infamous V-sign salute! Having won the Derby in 1970, Harvey was so convinced of winning again the following year he didn’t bother to bring back the trophy. Douglas Bunn was furious, and the trophy was eventually sent for. When Harvey did indeed win for a second time on board Mattie Brown, he crossed the finish line and put two fingers up in the direction of the Master’s Box. Harvey said the gesture was merely a ‘v for victory’, but it caused outrage and very nearly saw him stripped of the title.
4
The number of wins that Eddie Macken and Boomerang had in a row, lifting the trophy every year from 1976 to 1979, making them the best Derby combination of all time.
5
Five famous riders hold the shared record of four wins apiece, though only Eddie Macken’s wins were consecutive. The others are Harvey Smith, John Whitaker, Michael Whitaker and William Funnell.
2
Only two combinations have jumped a double clear in the Derby but not won on that occasion: Tim Stockdale and Wiston Bridget (2000) and Tina Fletcher and Promised Land (2010). Fortunately Tina made up for it a year later when finally lifting the trophy.
1
The number of eyes Adventure De Kannan had by the time he won the Derby. Trevor Breen’s great campaigner had won most of Hickstead’s famous classes and kept coming tantalisingly close to winning the Derby. ‘Addy’ finally did so in 2014, just a few months after an operation to remove one of his eyes.
2
The number of mares to win – John Popely’s Bluebird (1997) and Peter Charles’ Corrada, who won three times in a row from 2001-2003.
3
Three members of the Whitaker family have their name on the famous trophy – John, Michael and William.
60
Nelson Pessoa, who netted two early wins in 1963 and 1965, then had a 31-year wait for his third title. His win on Loro Piana Vivaldi in 1996 came when he was 60 years old, making him the oldest rider to win. He’d also had a heart attack the year previously, and had to jump the course while wearing a heart monitor to ensure his heart rate didn’t get too high!
21
The oldest horse to win the Derby was John Whitaker’s Gammon, who was 21 years old when he won in 1998. Two years later, John won again with another veteran – the great Welham, who by then was 20.
19
Michael Pender, who won the latest renewal of the Al Shira’aa Derby in 2019, was 19 at the time of winning, making him the youngest winner of all. Two 20-year-olds have also lifted the title – Michael Whitaker (1980) and Marion Coakes (1967).
64
The number of clear rounds there have been in the history of the Derby. The course has barely changed since that first running in 1961, and clear rounds are just as hard to come by. Often, there will be no clears at all and the riders on four faults will jump off for honours.
60
This year will see the 60th running of the Al Shira’aa Derby. It was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the only years that the class hasn’t run since its inception.
This article was published in Your Horse magazine in March 2022.
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