Posted: 28th June 2016 | Back to news feed
David Simpson steals the show in the Bunn Leisure Derby Trial
Ireland's David Simpson had his first major win in Hickstead's International Arena today, taking the honours in the Bunn Leisure Derby Trial.
Tactics came to the fore in the jump-off, when David (riding Gotti Van Paemel) faced two rivals in the form of William Funnell (Billy Onslow) and Shane Breen (Acoustik Solo Du Baloubet). First to go was William, who finished in a time of 64.30sec, but knocked one fence to finish on four faults. Hickstead-based Shane Breen picked up an unfortunate eight faults, paving the way for David to go for a steady clear.
“He’s not fast, but he’s really careful,” explained David. “I decided if the lads went clear I’d jump a few fences and pull him up and give him a pat, because I knew I’d come third and then I could save him for the Derby. But when they had fences down I knew I could jump a clear round.”
David is hopeful that the horse can continue his winning streak in the Equestrian.com Derby, the feature class of this meeting.
“He was really good in the Derby last year, but took a real dislike to the hedge for some reason, so I immediately went home and built a hedge to train over and he’s fine now. This is the best chance I’ve ever had in the Derby, I just need to get him freshened back up and feeling as good as he does today.”
David shares a yard near Horsham with his fiancée Louise Pavitt, the winner of yesterday’s Stoner Jewellers Vase speed class. The pair have two young children and are getting married in August.
“It’s really nice to win a class here, actually – usually it’s Louise who wins,” joked David. “We’ve been at our new yard for about two years now and the horses are all really happy and settled. They seem to have hit a good run of form and we have a great bunch of owners.”
In the Hickstead Master’s Challenge – where riders tackle a timed course before a series of white gates of ascending heights, it was Britain's Guy Williams who won for the second year in a row with the chesnut Casper De Muze.
"Casper is brave, careful and a very good gate jumper. He is a Grand Prix horse demoted to a speed horse, so he wins a lot," said Guy.
Several showing classes reached their conclusion in the International Arena, with leading show producer Jayne Ross scoring a double of wins. She took the Ready Supp Supreme Cob Championship with Cob in Hood, as well the Alltech Small Show Hunter Championship with Hello Dolly. Hannah Horton was the Blue Chip Native BSPS Heritage Supreme Champion with the eight-year-old Connemara mare Slieve Bloom Jill.
“She never ever lets me down. She’s a show girl – the bigger the occasion the better she goes. She didn’t put a foot wrong today and it feels amazing to win at Hickstead,” said Hannah.
Harriet Nuttall no longer the bridesmaid at Hickstead
Harriet Nuttall finally had a well-deserved win today at the Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby Meeting, winning the British Speed Derby with Silver Lift.
Harriet, 26, was runner up in no fewer than four of Hickstead's major classes at last year's Derby meeting, including the 2015 renewal of the Speed Derby. Twelve months ago she was narrowly beaten in this class by Guy Williams, but this year the roles were reversed with Guy finishing less than one second behind Harriet.
Yeovil-based Nuttall had already taken the lead with her first ride, Highland Cruiser, having clocked up the quickest time but adding eight seconds to her total to finish on 102.77sec. She then bettered her own time with second ride Silver Lift to hold the top two positions, before Guy relegated Highland Cruiser to third.
“This is my first win so it’s a burden removed to be honest – Hickstead Director Lizzie Bunn keeps saying I’m always the bridesmaid, never the bride!” joked Harriet.
Guy Williams had been aiming for a third consecutive win with Casper De Muze, and a record fifth Speed Derby win in total, but today he had to settle for second.
“Harriet deserved to win it and I’m happy for her. If anyone’s going to beat me I’m glad it’s her – last year she should have won and she threw it away, and this year I did the same thing,” said Guy.
In the Tom Hudson Derby Trophy, Ireland’s Billy Twomey won on board the nine-year-old gelding Thomas, beating Phillip Miller and the in-form Unbelievable Lady into second place.
Billy was first to go in the jump-off, and he set a strong pace that couldn’t be bettered by either Phillip or Anthony Condon, who had two horses in the jump-off.
“The ground was at its best when I went, so maybe I had an advantage going first but I don’t think the conditions were too much of a factor because the jump-off ground felt great,” said Irishman Twomey. “I know Phillip’s horse is fast and careful so I wanted to put down a decent marker and then hopefully they’ll have to go for it and make some mistakes,” he added.
He has had the ride on Thomas about two months, and describes him as “very straightforward but relatively inexperienced.”
Billy won the Hamburg Derby in May and tomorrow will be one of the favourites for the Equestrian.com Derby, the feature class of this meeting. He rides Diaghilev, who finished equal second in the Hickstead Derby in 2015.
William becomes the third Whitaker to win the Equestrian.com Derby
William Whitaker was the only rider who left all the fences standing to win today’s Equestrian.com Derby at Hickstead.
Riding the aptly-named Glenavadra Brilliant, William rode an assured clear to finish just over the optimum time allowed of 180sec to collect one time fault. Having finished third with this horse in 2014 and second in 2015, William was obviously on a countdown to victory in this class and today he duly delivered.
William, 26, is originally from Huddersfield but now lives in Belgium. He is now the third member of the Whitaker showjumping dynasty to win the Hickstead Derby - his uncles, John and Michael Whitaker, have both won Hickstead’s most famous class four times, and now William’s name will join theirs on the Boomerang Trophy.
Three riders shared the runner-up spot. First to go, Ireland’s Richard Howley got things off to a strong start with a four fault round, after his horse knocked the first part of the Devil’s Dyke. Yesterday’s British Speed Derby winner Harriet Nuttall came tantalisingly close to doing the double with a super round on A Touch Imperious, only for the very last fence to fall.
William, drawn 24th out of 34 starters, then came in and denied the four-faulters a chance to jump off – though with ten riders still to come there was still a good chance of someone going clear. Ireland’s Billy Twomey, winner of Saturday’s Tom Hudson Derby Trophy with Thomas, was on target for a clear round on Hamburg Derby winner Diaghilev, but again the Devil’s Dyke – known to be the trickiest fence on the course – ended his Derby dream and left him in second place.
William was delighted to finish top of the leaderboard, having been runner up several times.
“It’s one of the classes I’ve always really wanted to win. My horse is always knocking on the door, having been second here as well as several other derbies in Europe, so I’m pleased to finally get the win today,” said William.
Billy Twomey magnanimously described William’s performance in the Derby as a ‘copybook round’, and indeed Whitaker looked every inch a Derby champion as he steered the 13-year-old Irish Sports Horse round the long course. “He’s strong and scopey, and he’s got a lot of stamina. When he jumped the last fence he almost felt as if he could have done it again,” said William.
Earlier in the day, Alfie Bradstock won the Hickstead Under 25 Masters with Hello Disco Boy.
In the showing classes, it was Rebecca Court who claimed the RoR Tattersalls Thoroughbred Show Horse Championship with Beware Chalk Pit. The 12-year-old gelding was in training with Jonathan Geake and ran under Rules a total of 24 times, including two wins over fences.
Rebecca had never ridden in the International Arena at Hickstead before today, but the pair looked perfectly at home there today. “His last race was in January last year and we started training a week after we got him,” she said. “He’s the easiest horse to ride, with a lovely temperament.”
Oliver Hood took the Alltech Supreme Hunter Championship with the nine-year old, Potters Ace. The reserve championship went to Lord John (ridden by Justine Armstrong-Small), who is also from the same yard, making it a one-two for the Hood producing team.
Esther Rostron won the Hickstead Ladies Side Saddle Classic with Penstrumbly Our Abram. She has owned the 16-year-old chestnut for five years. “He’s a bit like a moody chestnut mare – you have to keep him happy – but he’s my favourite horse on the yard. I try to keep his lifestyle varied, so he does a bit of showjumping and I’ll try some veteran classes with him next.”
Ian Smeeth won the Ready Supp Supreme Coloured Horse Ridden Championship riding the five-year-old gelding, Esquire.
All England Jumping Course Director Lizzie Bunn paid tribute to the entire team at Hickstead, for keeping the event running despite poor weather conditions.
“We’ve done our utmost to keep the show going, and the team here has worked all week and through the night in order to keep our car parks open and ensure our showground remained safe and operational,” she said.
Hickstead’s next meeting is the Longines Royal International Horse Show, on 26-31 July.
The Equestrian Index newsfeed is compiled from articles submitted by advertising members and expresses the opinions of those members. Watsons Directories Ltd shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies or mis-statements therein.