Localrider Magazine
EVENTING • SHOWJUMPING • SHOWING • FUN RIDES www.localrider.co.uk
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Sept/Oct 2018
Jake Tarrant Event Rider & Entrepreneur
Hickstead Dreams Come True!
www.localrider.co.uk
Show Reports & Local News, including... ● SsangYong Eridge Horse Trials ● British Showjumping Championships ● Coakham Bloodhounds Beach Ride
09
September/October 2018 • VOLUME XVIII NUMBER 6
EFS Top Contender
...and lots more!
COVERING KENT, SUSSEX, SURREY, HAMPSHIRE, BERKSHIRE & THE ISLE of WIGHT
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HICKSTEAD REPORT William Funnell celebrates his fourth Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby win, with Billy Buckingham
Lots to celebrate at
The Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting W The All England Showground, Hickstead, West Sussex
Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th June 2018 Words and pictures by Fiona Rafferty Billy Buckingham meeting his fans
William pictured at the press conference after his win
illiam Funnell and Billy Buckingham had been hot favourites all week to win the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby. Eighteenth to go from 26 starters, William jumped the first clear round of the competition and only the 60th of the event’s 57 year history, the first Derby was held back in 1961. The Derby is a strange event, and one clear round will often dictate there will be a second, whereas some years there will be none. Just five riders later, Holly Smith jumped an equally impressive clear on Quality Old Joker. Having tackled the enormous course which starts with a stone wall and includes a mixture of natural and coloured fences up to 1.60m in height, many rarely seen outside of Hickstead, including the Devil’s dyke, three spindly rustic poles over ditches, the road crossing and of course the Hickstead Derby Bank, the horses then had to dig deep to jump around a shortened course against the clock. William was first to go, and as he crossed the finish he felt sure he had put the pressure on Holly with a clear round, but looking up to the scoreboard he saw there were four faults for a heel in the water. On paper, Holly was riding the quicker horse, but having taken the black gate at the third and landing with a foot in the water, she pulled up after the Derby Rails, it wasn’t to be for her this year. William now joins Harvey Smith, John and Michael Whitaker and Eddie Macken as a four-time Derby winner, he previously won on
10 Localrider SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
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Hannah Horton and the former National Hunt racehorse, What Of It, RoR Tatte rsalls Re-trained Racehorse Champion
Annabel Sykes Seven-year-old Annabel Sykes won the NSEA Hickstead Seven & Under Mini Challenge with her pony, Rosie. Junior riders jump all week with the aim of qualifying for Sunday’s final. The Seven & Under final is judged on style, performance, turnout and skill. Now 15, Rosie has been owned by the Sykes family for the last ten years and was originally backed by Annabel’s sister, Melissa. Annabel’s mother, Alison, said: “Rosie will always stay with us. I have two nephews, Jack and Joey, who will hopefully be her jockeys when Annabel out grows her.”
Georgina Steele and Colbeach Mark of Deistinction winners of the Ladies Side Saddle Classic
Gareth Roberts and Tom O’Brien, first Osborne Refrigerators Celebrity Scurry
Local riders 1,2,3 in the Harcour Hickstead Amateur Championship...
Pics by Spidge Photography
Amy Carnet and Ja Lo II jumped the sole double clear to win the Harcour Hickstead Amateur Championship
Mondriaan in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Speaking after his win, William said: It would be nice to think I could come back next year and win it for a fifth time, as you get older the opportunity for something like this happens less and less.” Ten-year-old Billy Buckingham is by Billy Congo, who William won a gold medal on at the European Showjumping Championships in 2013. William added: “It is just a dream come true to be in the record books with the Hickstead greats after winning on a homebred.” William was quick to credit Lucy Townley, daughter of Edward Bunn, whose family own Hickstead. William continued: “Lucy does most of the fattening work on him. I did a show in Holland three weeks ago and took him to the South of England to jump on grass.” Looking to the future, William was hoping to be selected for the British Nations Cup team with Billy Buckingham. He explained that he had spoken to Di Lampard, Chef d’equipe for the British team, saying ‘he isn’t the fastest horse in the world, but it is the one class he can win’. William’s instincts proved right and we imagine his second prediction of ‘I can feel a few beers coming on’, probably proved accurate too. Celebrations continued in the international arena for along time after the class had finished, as spectators crowded in to see and pat the great Billy Buckingham, who took everything in his stride, proudly wearing his garland and posing for pictures.
Florence Bellm and Southbound produced the fastest round by three seconds but four faults saw them finish in second
Hurstpierpoint College A’ level student, Harriet Keenleyside and Touch of Orlando finished third
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 Localrider 11
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