British Jumping Derby

The British Jumping Derby meeting – known for sponsorship reasons as the Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting – is an annual showjumping event held since 1961 at the Hickstead in June every year. It is considered one of the premier events in the equestrian calendar.[1][2][3][4]

A highlight of the meeting is the Al Shira'aa Derby, a 1,195-metre course with tricky jumps including the aptly named Devil's Dyke – three fences in short succession with a water-filled ditch in the middle and the difficult Derby Bank, a jump with 3 ft 5in rails on top and a 10 ft 6in slope down the front.[1][5]

The British Jumping Derby is one of those events a bit like the Grand National where it's not just the runners and riders that make the headlines but the course itself. It's an iconic showjumping contest, the like of which you won't find anywhere else in the world, no other course asks this much of a test of horse and rider and no other course creates this type of drama.

— Clare Balding, BBC Sport[6][7]

Derby fences

The main arena is used for a number of classes throughout the meeting (and at the Royal International Horse Show amongst others), but the main Derby class always follows the same class, consisting of the following fences of 21 jumping efforts:[5]

Fence name Height Width Notes
1. The Cornishman 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m) Solid stone wall with a pole
2. white oxer 4 ft 3 in (1.30 m) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
3. a.& b. double water ditches 5 ft (1.5 m) & 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
4. black gate 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) maximum height fence for the course, upright and falls easily
5. wall 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
6. privet hedge oxer 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
7. a. & b. road jump 5 ft (1.5 m) and 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) table fence with no exit except over jumps
8. Derby Bank 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) drop with 3 ft 5 in (1.04 m) high fence before iconic obstacle of the course. fence 16 ft from main drop which horses must slide down
9. white rails 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) two strides from bottom of bank
10. a., b. & c. Devil's Dyke 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m), 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m), 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m) closed obstacle, but sloping ground increases apparent fence height to near 6 ft (1.8 m)
11. open water 15 ft (4.6 m)
12. Derby rails 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
13. open ditch 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) 6 ft (1.8 m)
14. balustrades 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
15. a. & b. double of gates 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m), 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
16. rustic spread 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)

Results

The results of the main British Jumping Derby class at the show are as follows:

Year Rider Country Horse Ref
1961 Seamus Hayes  IRL Goodbye III [8]
1962 Pat Smythe  GBR Flanagan [8]
1963 Nelson Pessoa  BRA Gran Geste [8]
1964 Seamus Hayes  IRL Goodbye III [8]
1965 Nelson Pessoa  BRA Gran Geste [8]
1966 David Broome  GBR Mister Softee [8]
1967 Marion Coakes  GBR Stroller [8]
1968 Alison Westwood  GBR The Maverick III [8]
1969 Anneli Drummond-Hay  GBR Xanthos II [8]
1970 Harvey Smith  GBR Mattie Brown [8]
1971 Harvey Smith  GBR Mattie Brown [8]
1972 Hendrik Snoek  GER Shirokko [8]
1973 Alison Dawes (Westwood)  GBR Mr. Banbury [8]
1974 Harvey Smith  GBR Salvador [8]
1975 Paul Darragh  IRL Pele [8]
1976 Eddie Macken  IRL Boomerang [8]
1977 Eddie Macken  IRL Boomerang [8]
1978 Eddie Macken  IRL Boomerang [8]
1979 Eddie Macken  IRL Boomerang [8]
1980 Michael Whitaker  GBR Owen Gregory [8]
1981 Harvey Smith  GBR Sanyo Video [8]
1982 Paul Schockemöhle  GER Deister [8]
1983 John Whitaker  GBR Ryan's Son [8]
1984 John Ledingham  IRL Gabhran [8]
1985 Paul Schockemöhle  GER Lorenzo [8]
1986 Paul Schockemöhle  GER Deister [8]
1987 Nick Skelton  GBR J Nick [8]
1988 Nick Skelton  GBR Apollo [8]
1989 Nick Skelton  GBR Apollo [8]
1990 Jozsef Turi  GBR Vital [8]
1991 Michael Whitaker  GBR Monsanta [8]
1992 Michael Whitaker  GBR Monsanta [8]
1993 Michael Whitaker  GBR Monsanta [8]
1994 John Ledingham  IRL Kilbaha [8]
1995 John Ledingham  IRL Kilbaha [8]
1996 Nelson Pessoa  BRA Loro Piana Vivaldi [8]
1997 John Popely  GBR Bluebird [8]
1998 John Whitaker  GBR Gammon [8]
1999 Rob Hoekstra  GBR Lionel II [8]
2000 John Whitaker  GBR Welham [8]
2001 Peter Charles  IRL Corrada [8]
2002 Peter Charles  IRL Corrada [8]
2003 Peter Charles  IRL Corrada [8]
2004 John Whitaker  GBR Buddy Bunn [8]
2005 Ben Maher  GBR Alfredo II [8]
2006 William Funnell  GBR Cortaflex Mondriaan [8]
2007 Geoff Billington  GBR Cassabachus [8]
2008 William Funnell  GBR Cortaflex Mondriaan [8]
2009 William Funnell  GBR Cortaflex Mondriaan [8]
2010 Guy Williams  GBR Skip Two Ramiro [9]
2011 Tina Fletcher  GBR Promised Land [10]
2012 Paul Beecher  IRL Loughnatousa WB [11]
2013 Phillip Miller  GBR Caritiar Z [12]
2014 Trevor Breen  IRL Adventure De Kannan [13]
2015 Trevor Breen  IRL Loughnatousa W B [8]
2016 William Whitaker  GBR Glenavadra Brilliant [8]
2017 Nigel Coupe  GBR Golvers Hill [8]
2018 William Funnell  GBR Billy Buckingham [14]
2019 Michael Pender  IRL Hearton Du Bois [15]
2022 Shane Breen  IRL Z7 Canya Makan [8]

In 2019, Michael Pender became the youngest ever winner of the Hickstead Derby, taking the title from Marion Coakes when she won the Derby in 1967 on Stroller.[15] Five riders have won the Hickstead Derby four times apiece - Eddie Macken, Harvey Smith, John Whitaker, Michael Whitaker and William Funnell. In 2020 and 2021, the Hickstead Derby did not run because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Sponsorship

Title sponsors in recent years have included furniture retailer DFS, floor and bed furnishing retailer carpetright and online retailer Equestrian.com. The current title sponsors are Al Shira'aa, who have signed a three-year deal as title sponsor of the event, now known as the Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby meeting.

References
  1. "The DFS British Jumping Derby, Hickstead". Debretts. Archived from the original on 4 September 2010.
  2. "DFS British Jumping Derby". Equestrian Shows. 19 September 2009.
  3. Parry-Crooke, Simon (31 December 2009). "Sport 2010: compete month-by month calendar for the year ahead". The Daily Telegraph.
  4. "Preview:Hickstead Derby". BBC Grandstand. 15 September 2003.
  5. "Facing the Hickstead Derby course". Horse and Hound. 28 June 2006.
  6. "All England Jumping Course, Hickstead". South East England Development Agency.
  7. "British Jumping Derby Meeting". All England Jumping Course at Hickstead. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010.
  8. "Show Jumping – Major Shows". Sports Records.
  9. "result 2010 British Jumping Derby". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  10. http://results.scgvisual.com/2011/hickstead/r19.html result 2011 British Jumping Derby
  11. "Paul Beecher proves unbeatable in Hickstead Derby - Horse & Hound". Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012. result 2012 British Jumping Derby
  12. http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/phillip-miller-meet-hickstead-derby-winner result 2013 British Jumping Derby
  13. "News from 2014". Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  14. "William Funnell joins Hickstead record holders". www.hickstead.co.uk. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  15. Field, The Irish. "SHOW JUMPING: Michael Pender becomes youngest ever winner of the Hickstead Derby". www.theirishfield.ie. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
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