Al Shira’aa Derby champion returns to Hickstead

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The Al Shira’aa Derby champion William Funnell will return to Hickstead next week for the All England Jumping Championships (30 August – 2 September).

William is among a line-up of leading national showjumpers who have entered for the four-day fixture, which has classes from 90cm up to a £6,000 1.40m Grand Prix.

One to watch will be Ireland’s Shane Breen, who has had an excellent season on home turf at Hickstead, including wins in the Bunn Leisure Derby Trial and a third place in the Al Shira’aa Derby.

Phillip Miller, another former Derby champion, is already a dual winner of the All England Grand Prix, and he will be returning for a third crack at the title.

Other riders taking part include Jake Saywell, Lucy Townley, Nicole Pavitt, Steven Franks, John Popely, Georgia Tame, Yazmin Pinchen, Louise Saywell and Amy Inglis.

Husband and wife David and Louise Simpson have both had plenty of success at the All England Jumping Course, and both line up at this national championships. Northamptonshire showjumper Tim Stockdale – a former winner of the Longines BHS King George V Gold Cup – is due to compete, along with his son Joseph, 19, while cousins George and Tom from the famous Whitaker showjumping dynasty are also among the entries.

The show was first held in 2011, with the aim of promoting the grassroots level of the sport as well as giving novice horses the chance to gain experience jumping in the International Arena at Hickstead.

More than 1,200 horses are entered for this year’s show, which is completely free to spectators. As well as five rings of showjumping, there will be a small shopping area, with a select number of equestrian trade stands. The action from the International Arena will be livestreamed from Friday to Sunday on ClipMyHorse.TV and Hickstead.TV.

The Clubhouse Bar & Grill will be open all day throughout the show, and the Bollinger Bar will be open in the evenings, offering a full a la carte menu.