British Jumping Derby
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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.
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.
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.
The course is known for its challenging nature that has changed little since its inception. As of 2022, there were only 64 clear rounds since the event's start in 1961.
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:
| 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[clarification needed] 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 | |
| 1962 | Pat Smythe | GBR | Flanagan | |
| 1963 | Nelson Pessoa | BRA | Gran Geste | |
| 1964 | Seamus Hayes | IRL | Goodbye III | |
| 1965 | Nelson Pessoa | BRA | Gran Geste | |
| 1966 | David Broome | GBR | Mister Softee | |
| 1967 | Marion Coakes | GBR | Stroller | |
| 1968 | Alison Westwood | GBR | The Maverick III | |
| 1969 | Anneli Drummond-Hay | GBR | Xanthos II | |
| 1970 | Harvey Smith | GBR | Mattie Brown | |
| 1971 | Harvey Smith | GBR | Mattie Brown | |
| 1972 | Hendrik Snoek | GER | Shirokko | |
| 1973 | Alison Dawes (Westwood) | GBR | Mr. Banbury | |
| 1974 | Harvey Smith | GBR | Salvador | |
| 1975 | Paul Darragh | IRL | Pele | |
| 1976 | Eddie Macken | IRL | Boomerang | |
| 1977 | Eddie Macken | IRL | Boomerang | |
| 1978 | Eddie Macken | IRL | Boomerang | |
| 1979 | Eddie Macken | IRL | Boomerang | |
| 1980 | Michael Whitaker | GBR | Owen Gregory | |
| 1981 | Harvey Smith | GBR | Sanyo Video | |
| 1982 | Paul Schockemöhle | GER | Deister | |
| 1983 | John Whitaker | GBR | Ryan's Son | |
| 1984 | John Ledingham | IRL | Gabhran | |
| 1985 | Paul Schockemöhle | GER | Lorenzo | |
| 1986 | Paul Schockemöhle | GER | Deister | |
| 1987 | Nick Skelton | GBR | J Nick | |
| 1988 | Nick Skelton | GBR | Apollo | |
| 1989 | Nick Skelton | GBR | Apollo | |
| 1990 | Jozsef Turi | GBR | Vital | |
| 1991 | Michael Whitaker | GBR | Monsanta | |
| 1992 | Michael Whitaker | GBR | Monsanta | |
| 1993 | Michael Whitaker | GBR | Monsanta | |
| 1994 | John Ledingham | IRL | Kilbaha | |
| 1995 | John Ledingham | IRL | Kilbaha | |
| 1996 | Nelson Pessoa | BRA | Loro Piana Vivaldi | |
| 1997 | John Popely | GBR | Bluebird | |
| 1998 | John Whitaker | GBR | Gammon | |
| 1999 | Rob Hoekstra | GBR | Lionel II | |
| 2000 | John Whitaker | GBR | Welham | |
| 2001 | Peter Charles | IRL | Corrada | |
| 2002 | Peter Charles | IRL | Corrada | |
| 2003 | Peter Charles | IRL | Corrada | |
| 2004 | John Whitaker | GBR | Buddy Bunn | |
| 2005 | Ben Maher | GBR | Alfredo II | |
| 2006 | William Funnell | GBR | Cortaflex Mondriaan | |
| 2007 | Geoff Billington | GBR | Cassabachus | |
| 2008 | William Funnell | GBR | Cortaflex Mondriaan | |
| 2009 | William Funnell | GBR | Cortaflex Mondriaan | |
| 2010 | Guy Williams | GBR | Skip Two Ramiro | |
| 2011 | Tina Fletcher | GBR | Promised Land | |
| 2012 | Paul Beecher | IRL | Loughnatousa WB | |
| 2013 | Phillip Miller | GBR | Caritiar Z | |
| 2014 | Trevor Breen | IRL | Adventure De Kannan | |
| 2015 | Trevor Breen | IRL | Loughnatousa W B | |
| 2016 | William Whitaker | GBR | Glenavadra Brilliant | |
| 2017 | Nigel Coupe | GBR | Golvers Hill | |
| 2018 | William Funnell | GBR | Billy Buckingham | |
| 2019 | Michael Pender | IRL | Hearton Du Bois | |
| 2022 | Shane Breen | IRL | Z7 Canya Makan | |
| 2023 | David Simpson | IRL | Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve | |
| 2024 | William Funnell | GBR | Dublon |
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. Four riders have won the Hickstead Derby four times apiece - Eddie Macken, Harvey Smith, John Whitaker, and Michael Whitaker. In 2024 William Funnell became the first rider to win the event five times. In 2020 and 2021, the Hickstead Derby did not run because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Incidents
- 1972 – Chamusca Lad, ridden by Ann Backhouse was euthanized after falling on landing from the Derby Bank.
- 1987 – Ryan's Son, the 1983 winner of the competition, fell during his round on the course. The fall did not initially appear serious, and the horse walked back to the stabling area where he collapsed and died.
- 2004 – GG Barock was euthanized after breaking a rear leg while landing from the Derby Bank. After the incident, event organizers made changes to the Derby Bank to make the obstacle more friendly to equine competitors.
- 2018 – Navalo de Poheton, ridden by Andrew Kocher (USA) broke a leg while competing in the Derby and was fatally injured. It was the horse's last competition before retirement.
Sponsorship
Title sponsors in recent years have included furniture retailer DFS, floor and bed furnishing retailer carpetright and online retailer . 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.