The British Jumping Derby meeting – known for sponsorship reasons as the Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting – is an annual

showjumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes show ...

event held since 1961 at the

Hickstead Hickstead may refer to: * All England Jumping Course at Hickstead The All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, known widely as Hickstead, is an equestrian centre in West Sussex, England, principally known for its showjumping. It hosts two int ...

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 The Hickstead Derby Bank known as the ''Derby Bank'' is an infamous jump at the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead The All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, known widely as Hickstead, is an equestrian centre in West Sussex, England, p ...

, a jump with 3 ft 5in rails on top and a 10 ft 6in slope down the front.

Derby fences

The main arena is used for a number of classes throughout the meeting (and at the

Royal International Horse Show The Royal International Horse Show (originally the International Horse Show) is the official horse show of the British Horse Society and consists of both showing and showjumping events. The event is held during July each year at the All England ...

amongst others), but the main Derby class always follows the same class, consisting of the following fences of 21 jumping efforts:

Results

The results of the main British Jumping Derby class at the show are as follows: 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 Various methods of transporting children have been used in different cultures and times. These methods include baby carriages (prams in British English), infant car seats, portable bassinets (carrycots), strollers (pushchairs), slings, backpacks ...

. Five riders have won the Hickstead Derby four times apiece -

Eddie Macken Eddie Macken (born 20 October 1949 in Granard, Longford, Ireland)

, Harvey Smith, John Whitaker,

Michael Whitaker Michael Whitaker (born 17 March 1960) is a British Olympic equestrian rider, who competes in the sport of show jumping. He was ranked 5th by the British Showjumping Association in March 2014. Career Younger brother of John Whitaker, Micha ...

and

William Funnell William Ross Norman Funnell (born 10 February 1966, Ashford) is a top-class showjumper. Career Funnell has represented Britain internationally in many Nations Cup teams. In 2006 he won the Hickstead Derby for the first time and won it agai ...

. 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 Carpetright Limited is one of the largest British retailers of floor coverings and beds. The company is owned by Meditor. History The company was established by Lord Harris of Peckham in 1988 when he opened its first shop in Canning Town.

and online retaile
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.

External links

Official British Jumping Derby website

References

{{Reflist Show jumping events Equestrian sports in the United Kingdom Equestrian sports in England 1962 establishments in the United Kingdom Recurring sporting events established in 1962