The British Jumping Derby meeting or informally the Hickstead Derby, is an annual showjumping event held since 1962 at the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead in June every year, and is considered one of the premier events in the equestrian calendar.[1][2][3][4] The event is currently sponsored by furniture retailer DFS with title rights making the event the DFS British Jumping Derby.[5][6]
A highlight of the meeting is the British Jumping Derby, a 1,195-metre course with tricky jumps including he 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][7]
| “ | The DFS British Jumping Derby is one of those events a bit like the Grand National where its not just the runners and riders that make the headlines but the course itself. Its 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. | ” |
Contents |
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:[7]
| Fence name | Height | Width | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cornishman | 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m) | Solid stone wall with a pole | |
| white oxer | 4 ft 3 in (1.30 m) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |
| double water ditches | 5 ft (1.5 m) & 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) | ||
| black gate | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | maximum height fence for the course, upright and falls easily | |
| wall | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||
| privet hedge oxer | 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |
| road jump | 5 ft (1.5 m) and 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) | table fence with no exit except over jumps | |
| 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 16st from main drop which horses must slide down | |
| white rails | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | two strides from bottom of bank | |
| 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) | |
| open water | 15 ft (4.6 m) | ||
| Derby rails | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||
| open ditch | 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) | 6 ft (1.8 m) | |
| balustrades | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||
| double of gates | 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m), 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | |
| rustic spread | 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
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 | [10] |
| 1962 | Pat Smythe | GBR | Flanagan | [10] |
| 1963 | Nelson Pessoa | BRA | Gran Geste | [10] |
| 1964 | Seamus Hayes | IRL | Goodbye III | [10] |
| 1965 | Nelson Pessoa | BRA | Gran Geste | [10] |
| 1966 | David Broome | GBR | Mister Softee | [10] |
| 1967 | Marion Coakes | GBR | Stroller | [10] |
| 1968 | Alison Westwood | GBR | The Maverick III | [10] |
| 1969 | Anneli Drummond-Hay | GBR | Xanthos II | [10] |
| 1970 | Harvey Smith | GBR | Mattie Brown | [10] |
| 1971 | Harvey Smith | GBR | Mattie Brown | [10] |
| 1972 | Hendrik Snoek | GER | Shirokko | [10] |
| 1973 | Alison Dawes (Westwood) | GBR | Mr. Banbury | [10] |
| 1974 | Harvey Smith | GBR | Salvador | [10] |
| 1975 | Paul Darragh | IRL | Pele | [10] |
| 1976 | Eddie Macken | IRL | Boomerang | [10] |
| 1977 | Eddie Macken | IRL | Boomerang | [10] |
| 1978 | Eddie Macken | IRL | Boomerang | [10] |
| 1979 | Eddie Macken | IRL | Boomerang | [10] |
| 1980 | Michael Whitaker | GBR | Owen Gregory | [10] |
| 1981 | Harvey Smith | GBR | Sanyo Video | [10] |
| 1982 | Paul Schockemöhle | GER | Deister | [10] |
| 1983 | John Whitaker | GBR | Ryan's Son | [10] |
| 1984 | John Ledingham | IRL | Gabhran | [10] |
| 1985 | Paul Schockemöhle | GER | Lorenzo | [10] |
| 1986 | Paul Schockemöhle | GER | Deister | [10] |
| 1987 | Nick Skelton | GBR | J Nick | [10] |
| 1988 | Nick Skelton | GBR | Apollo | [10] |
| 1989 | Nick Skelton | GBR | Apollo | [10] |
| 1990 | Jozsef Turi | GBR | Vital | [10] |
| 1991 | Michael Whitaker | GBR | Monsanta | [10] |
| 1992 | Michael Whitaker | GBR | Monsanta | [10] |
| 1993 | Michael Whitaker | GBR | Monsanta | [10] |
| 1994 | John Ledingham | IRL | Kilbaha | [10] |
| 1995 | John Ledingham | IRL | Kilbaha | [10] |
| 1996 | Nelson Pessoa | BRA | Loro Piana Vivaldi | [10] |
| 1997 | John Popely | GBR | Bluebird | [10] |
| 1998 | John Whitaker | GBR | Gammon | [10] |
| 1999 | Rob Hoekstra | GBR | Lionel II | [10] |
| 2000 | John Whitaker | GBR | Welham | [10] |
| 2001 | Peter Charles | IRL | Corrada | [10] |
| 2002 | Peter Charles | IRL | Corrada | [10] |
| 2003 | Peter Charles | IRL | Corrada | [10] |
| 2004 | John Whitaker | GBR | Buddy Bunn | [10] |
| 2005 | Ben Maher | GBR | Alfredo II | [10] |
| 2006 | William Funnell | GBR | Cortaflex Mondriaan | [10] |
| 2007 | Geoff Billington | GBR | Cassabachus | [10] |
| 2008 | William Funnell | GBR | Cortaflex Mondriaan | [10] |
| 2009 | William Funnell | GBR | Cortaflex Mondriaan | [10] |
| 2010 | Guy Williams | GBR | Skip Two Ramiro | [11] |
| 2011 | Tina Fletcher | GBR | Promised Land | [12] |