Hickstead Derby

The Hickstead Derby is one of the most famous showjumping classes in the world. It is an iconic event that attracts the biggest names from around the showjumping world, but not all horses are suited for this unusual test, which includes numerous natural obstacles including ditches, banks and open water.

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Hickstead Derby dates 2027

The 2027 Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting will take place on 24-27 June at Hickstead’s All England Jumping Course in West Sussex, which is also home to the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS).

This fixture also hosts a full range of senior national showjumping classes, with something for almost every calibre of affiliated rider alongside the international classes. For the showing community there are qualifiers for this year’s RIHS, plus scurry driving and plenty of shopping for visitors to enjoy too.

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Hickstead Derby course

The Hickstead Derby is a 1,195m course of vast proportions, boasting 28 fences to challenge the scope and boldness of horse and rider. The main attractions are the Devil’s Dyke and the challenging Derby Bank, an obstacle with 1.04m rails on top and a 3.2m slope down the front with imposing 1.6m white rails just two strides from the base of the bank.

Most successful riders in the Hickstead Derby

William Funnell stands alone as the only rider to have won the headline class five times. Eddie Macken holds the unbelievable record of four consecutive wins on the same horse, the legendary Boomerang, set way back in the 70s, while Harvey Smith, John Whitaker and Michael Whitaker have each won the class on four occasions.

Top riders’ Hickstead Derby memories

Latest Hickstead Derby news