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.
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 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, but the main Derby class always follows the same class, consisting of the following fences of 21 jumping efforts:
Fence nameHeightWidthNotes
1. The CornishmanSolid stone wall with a pole
2. white oxer
3. a.& b. double water ditches &
4. black gatemaximum height fence for the course, upright and falls easily
5. wall
6. privet hedge oxer
7. a. & b. road jump and table fence with no exit except over jumps
8. Derby Bank drop with high fence beforeiconic obstacle of the course. fence 16 ft
from main drop which horses must slide down
9. white railstwo strides from bottom of bank
10. a., b. & c. Devil's Dyke,, closed obstacle, but sloping ground increases apparent fence height to near
11. open water
12. Derby rails
13. open ditch
14. balustrades
15. a. & b. double of gates, -
16. rustic spread

Results

The results of the main British Jumping Derby class at the show are as follows:
YearRiderCountryHorseRef
1961Seamus HayesIreland

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 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.