“I’m still buzzing!” says 24-year-old Irish showjumper Daniel McAlinden the day after finishing equal fourth with just four faults in his first ever Hickstead Derby.
“If someone said last week I was going to have a week like that I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Galway-based Daniel may not be a household name just yet, but he launched into the spotlight after his masterful ride on the 12-year-old gelding Keatingstown Z Wellie Two in the Al Shira’aa Derby at Hickstead on Sunday (25 June). The pair pinged down the Derby bank and soared over the open water in eye-catching style, just picking up four faults at the first element of the legendary Devil’s Dyke.
“The horse just loves the show,” says Daniel, who had only been riding Sharon Fitzpatrick’s home-bred by Z Wellie 72 out of the mare Marchionesse for two months before tackling the world famous Hickstead Derby and they warmed up with a tilt at the puissance at Bolesworth International, where they finished third.
“I haven’t had him that long and at Bolesworth it felt like we were clicking together, so it all came together at the right time and I’m delighted,” reveals Daniel, who also finished third with Keatingstown Z Wellie Two in the Derby trial.
“Jumping the Hickstead Derby is 100% the dream – just to be in the company of the Breens and Jordan Coyle, and everyone like that, they’re the lads I’ve always looked up to. It’s such a famous ring and the crowd was so full, so the atmosphere was great. Sure there were plenty of nerves but that horse is the one I get the least nervous on because he’s very talented. It’s more a case of me keeping as cool as possible.”
Hickstead Derby: ‘I can’t thank my horse enough’
Daniel received plenty of great advice beforehand from his good friend Mikey Pender, who won the Hickstead Derby in 2019.
“He gave me a bit of a pep talk, so I was following a bit of his instructions,” explains Daniel. “When you’re so in the moment, it’s hard to look back and picture the round clearly, but everything came off to plan. I was a bit worried about him looking at a couple of jumps, but after the Liverpool at fence three I felt more confident and I relaxed a bit.
“I’ve been having nightmares for weeks about the Derby bank because I’ve never done it before. But he came down really well and he kicked off the bank and gave a really good jump over the next one. He got a bit buzzy with me a couple of strides after that, but I think I got him back and relaxed enough, but the Dyke is such a hard jump to do anyway and the first part is very tall coming in. Even when I had it down, I kept calm and I was so happy to finish on the four faults.
“I actually thought I’d had another fence down after the open ditch, but the crowd were getting really excited coming to the last, so I thought surely I must have been on four! So crossing the line was an unbelievable moment. That horse has been knocking on the door now for a while and I can’t thank him enough. He’s unbelievable.”
Daniel McAlinden: why the Hickstead Derby was not the original plan
While Daniel McAlinden and Keatingstown Z Wellie Two looked as though they’d been jumping Derby tracks all their lives, the plan to jump the Hickstead Derby was actually only formulated a month ago. Susan Fitzpatrick was the gelding’s regular rider but several other jockeys have taken the reins and Irish showjumper Ger O’Neill took him in the Hickstead Derby in 2019 although they failed to get round.
“The Fitzpatricks gave me the ride on him – they’re such nice people and you could feel they were so happy for me and the horse,” says Daniel. “But, when I took him on, this was never the plan. I had dinner with Sharon and Susan at Balmoral in May and I suggested it to them – chancing my arm a bit, because I wasn’t sure they wanted to do it, but there were very keen.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do because I’ve a hunting background at home – it’s such a prestigious class.”
Daniel says he’d love to be back to contest the Hickstead Derby again next year, if Keatingstown Z Wellie Two hasn’t been sold before then, and his other goal is to try to do the puissance in Dublin this August.
“I’m just taking every show as it comes,” says Daniel who has built up his stables and a thriving business at his home in Galway, taking liveries and dealing horses.
“We’ll get home now and make a better plan for him, but at the moment he’ll go out in the field for a week to enjoy himself. It’s him taking you for a walk to the grass though! He likes to go his own way, but I let him get away with a couple of things if it makes him happy!”
Hopefully we’ll see much more of this exceptional young rider and the Fitzpatricks’ marvellous horse.
“The plan is to try to get as far as I can in the sport, but getting horses is the hardest thing, so hopefully this will help my situation!” says Daniel.
If Daniel McAlinden wasn’t on your radar before, he certainly should be now. Hopefully this remarkable achievement in the Hickstead Derby if a sign of much more to come.
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