Silver Lift, the most successful horse in British Speed Derby history, has bowed out aged 21 to enjoy a happy retirement with an old and dear friend.

The Irish-bred gelding, with whom Harriet Biddick won three Hickstead speed Derby titles and came second four times, had been jumping until last month with Harriet’s stable jockey Lily Wilson – and of course still winning.

“I wanted to retire him with the sun on his back; it seemed the right time,” Harriet told H&H. “He’s out with A Touch Imperious and a couple of four-year-olds, a nice group of them anyway, so it made sense. It’s been good to see him out with them and having a nice time in the good weather.”

Harriet said the family bought Silver Lift from Ireland as a four-year-old, as her younger sister Lucy’s first horse.

“He’d been hunting with an 11-year-old boy, at four years old, they loved him,” she said. “He was really dark, iron grey with a white mane and tail, so he looked stunning.”

Harriet started riding Silver Lift, then Lucy hunted him a bit and Harriet took him on as a six-year-old as Lucy was keener on hunting.

“The first year he did the speed Derby, he was only seven,” Harriet said. “He came 11th; he went clear but I took it slowly, and he’d not missed a year since.”

Harriet said jumping a seven-year-old in the speed derby is not something she would do now – but this was clearly his class, and Silver Lift enjoyed it from the start.

“He’d been started so well, he was so safe and unspooky, an 11-year-old boy rode him,” she said. “And with the hunting, he was so well rounded and grown up, we didn’t do young horse classes, we just did the fun stuff.

“He always wanted to be competitive and thrived on going fast, and he was ready. It was the right thing for him to do, and he loved it.”

At that time, Harriet had Highland Cruiser, with whom she also was very successful in the speed Derby; she came third on him when she and Silver Lift won for the first time in 2016.

They won again in 2019, securing back-to-back titles in 2022, after the two previous years’ classes were lost to Covid. For a few years, Silver Lift was ridden most of the time by young rider Joss Phillipps, coming back to Harriet for Hickstead.

But, Harriet, added, “I’ve probably made every mistake in that class!” such as the year she went the wrong way in the speed derby qualifier.

“I never try to win that qualifier as he’s already a racy horse and doesn’t need to go fast,” she said. “So I gave him a nice school round and I think I was in such a dream, and he was jumping so well – I don’t know what I did.

“Lizzie [Bunn, Hickstead director] rang and said ‘You’re a past winner but you have to complete a class to qualify’, so I had to jump a 1.45m in the main ring the next day. I went round the first phase and retired, but that was a worrying weekend!”

“And then, of course, I lost my bridle,” she added.

Harriet and Silver Lift were on course for a record fourth win in 2023, when the bridle came off before the treble of Hickstead planks. They jumped through the combination regardless, but the final fence would have been a step too far.

“My biggest worry then, when I was cantering round, was ‘Who’s going to catch me?’!” she said. “He’s such a shy horse and independent, does what he wants to do and just has certain people he trusts.

“But I knew he’d never hurt me. I was pregnant with Ollie at the time but even though I had no bridle, I knew I was safe.”

Those at Hickstead that day will remember the collective feeling of “Might she still be able to jump the last fence?”

“I can’t believe people thought I could – but I think I thought I could!” she said. “I looked at it, and I was almost trying to push him over, and then I thought ‘What am I doing, I’ve got no bridle!’ I think then in my head was ‘No, that’s a silly idea, let’s make sure this ends in a happy way and be a bit more sensible. But I think if the hill wasn’t there, he might have got to the last.”

One thing that incident did show is Harriet’s horsemanship and the pair’s relationship.

“I trusted him so much in that moment; I knew he’d be fine,” she said.

“We had such a bond; even if I hadn’t ridden him for a while as he’d been with Joss, it was something – I’d known him from the start and if I breathed a certain way, or leaned left, he’d go left. I only had to use my bodyweight for him to know where to go.

“He was just so agile and clever, and listened, and just wanted to do it; he wanted to win as much as you did.”

Silver Lift retires with Derby hero

Harriet said she was very fortunate to have Silver Lift and her Derby hero A Touch Imperious at the same time.

“I had such a bond with them both; I was so lucky they were in the same era as they gave so much diversity to my riding,” she said. “I had the small little racehorse-type Silver Lift then the giant dinosaur! Both of them did absolutely everything for me and now, I go out in that field and A Touch Imperious comes over. He always gives the best cuddles, puts his head down and we have a little chat – but once Silver Lift’s out, I won’t get anywhere near him as he goes feral!”

Silver Lift’s last speed Derby was in 2024, when he and Harriet came second. And Harriet said he always knew exactly where he was.

“He’s never been a horse who would go in the arena and do his flatwork, he already went in a nice way,” Harriet said. “So you’d more likely just go on a little ride; he loved it, like a whizzy little pony, leaping around sideways, jogging the whole way home.

“He was like a 12.2hh pony but when he got to Hickstead every year, he changed. He knew where he was, he’d be jogging back and forth to the stable, he knew it was the place for him. He had his routine, doing the qualifier, then waiting for Saturday, the speed Derby.

“He’s kind, he’s always been driven to win, he’s thrived at Hickstead. He loved his job and was so smooth to ride; he had that thoroughbred in him that made him move so elegantly across the ground.

“You saw some horses getting a bit stressed or hot, or tire halfway round but he wouldn’t blow a candle out when he came out. He enjoyed it, and didn’t find it hard work. I think he really is a legend.”

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A Touch Imperious has been retired aged 20 with fitting ceremony, cheered round one last lap of the Hickstead International Arena in which he had shone so many times.

Harriet Biddick took the saddle off “Henry” in an emotional moment before this year’s Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby, the class he is most famous for.

He and Harriet finished second in the Derby five times, and came third twice, winning nearly £117,000 just in this class.

“He may not have won but he’s a Derby champion in our hearts,” said commentator John Stokes. “We wish him a long and happy retirement, and thank him and Harriet for the joy and excitement they’ve brought us in this most iconic competition.”

Harriet trotted Henry twice round the ring, to thunderous applause from every stand. Shining and plaited, ears pricked, the big chestnut was then taken to the winner’s enclosure, where his saddle was replaced with a wreath hanging with apples and carrots. Harriet led him out of the ring as her fellow riders formed a guard of honour by the chute, and (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life was played.

Harriet said emotional though the decision was, it was the right one for Henry, whom she felt was not quite fit enough for one last try at the title.

“He is 20 now, and he owes us nothing,” she said last week. “He’s got a fantastic record in the class, and I want to keep it that way.”

A Touch Imperious was bred by Dominic and Leo Rice, of Premier Sports Horses, and Harriet’s father Rupert Nuttall bought him as a youngster. Harriet produced him all the way up, to success also including joint-winning the Hickstead Derby trial two years ago, and representing Britain on Nations Cup teams, and at the 2018 final.

“It will be the end of an era for me,” Harriet said. “A really emotional day but he’s amazing. We’ve had a 15-year career and that’s a partnership to dream of. To [do what he’s done] and so consistently and well shows how talented and brave he is and I’m just lucky to be his rider.”

The combination were eliminated at the bank on their first Derby attempt, 11 years ago, but Harriet put in some practice and “he never looked back”, she said. “He’s basically done all that on his own. He’s amazing.”

Harriet said Henry would step back from the big shows and have a good holiday, then probably just do some hacking, and “enjoy life”.

“He’s been my whole career,” she said. “It’s hard to not get emotional but I just don’t think I’ll get a horse like that in my future. I know he is my horse of a lifetime.”

You might also be interested in:

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

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Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

One of the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby’s most popular and consistent contenders is to be retired before this year’s event, at the age of 20.

Harriet Biddick’s heroic A Touch Imperious will be given a fitting send-off in the International Arena just before the class on Sunday (23 June).

Harriet and “Henry” have finished second in the Derby five times, and come third twice, winning nearly £117,000 just in this class. He was also the joint-winner of the Derby trial in 2022. It had been hoped that he would be able to try for the Boomerang trophy again this year, having missed the 2023 running with a minor injury, but Harriet felt he was not fully fit.

“He is 20 now, and he owes us nothing,” she said. “He’s got a fantastic record in the class, and I want to keep it that way.

“He’s jumped some nice clears recently and has been feeling good, but I didn’t want to jump him in the Derby unless he felt 1,000%. I know it’s going to be emotional, but it’s a real honour to be able to retire him at Hickstead, it’s like home to him.”

A Touch Imperious was bred by Leo and Dominic Rice, of Premier Sports Horses, by Touchdown out of Cavalier Royale mare Cavimperius. Harriet’s father Rupert Nuttall bought him as a young horse from Ireland and Harriet has produced him to the top. Together they represented Britain on Nations Cup teams including the 2018 final.

“A Touch Imperious may not have won the Al Shira’aa Derby, but he is one of the most consistent horses in the history of the class,” said Hickstead director Lizzie Bunn. “We are really sad to see his remarkable career draw to a close, but we’re touched that Harriet has chosen the All England Jumping Course – the scene of so many of his best moments – as the location for his retirement ceremony.”

The retirement ceremony will take place shortly before the parade of riders in the Derby.

The Rices bought back a half sister of Cavimperius, Premier Lux Like Murphy by Lux Z, and now have a filly out of her, by their Touchdown stallion Premier Sport who is out of a Cavalier Royale mare.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Subscribe today and enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus unlimited website access and digital versions of the magazine dating back to September 2012.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Showjumper Harriet Biddick made headlines last year when footage of her jumping Hickstead’s speed Derby on Silver Lift without a bridle went viral.

The Somerset rider and her Irish sport horse missed out on the chance to become the first combination to win the class four times after that dramatic tack mishap, but Harriet is back after the birth of her second child Oliver in December to make another record-breaking attempt in this year’s speed Derby with her now 19-year-old Hickstead hero.

Harriet Biddick and Silver Lift, who racked up their speed Derby hat-trick with high-octane victories in 2016, 2019 and 2022, warmed up for this year’s Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting (20-23 June) with a win at her local Bath and West Show in Shepton Mallet last weekend (30 May-1 June).

“He feels really good,” Harriet told H&H. “I’m only doing a few shows with him. Izzy, who rides for me at home, has jumped a few shows just so he’s been out doing bits and bobs.”

Harriet Biddick and Silver Lift: the most successful combination in speed Derby history

“I wanted to bring him to Bath and West for a run on grass and we’ll go to Royal Cornwall and then we’ll aim for the speed Derby,” said Harriet, who was on target for a fourth win on Hickstead’s hallowed turf when Silver Lift lost his bridle after the Irish bank last year, dramatically jumping through the triple of planks without any steering.

“I won’t have the hackamore on him this time, I’ll ride him in the three-ring!” she said.

Harriet’s horses are just returning to full fitness after she had Oliver. She didn’t take them on any tours this spring, but the horses seemed to improve as the show went on.

“The ground was sticky the first day and Night Of Glory found it a bit squishy, it was taking her jump away a bit,” she said.

“In the trial she had a couple of tired poles towards the end of the course but she was back to herself in the grand prix and was really game for it, whereas she’d felt a little bit rusty. The ground had dried out and was great.”

Harriet is also hoping the 20-year-old A Touch Imperious, with whom she has finished second in the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby an incredible five times, might make a return to Hickstead this year after a minor setback 12 months ago.

You can read the full report from Bath and West Show in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, in the shops Thursday 6 June and we’ll bring you all the news of Harriet Biddick’s record-breaking speed Derby attempt at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby meeting this month.

• If you’d like to be at Hickstead to watch all the action in person, tickets start from less than £20, with advance discounts and concessions available. Thursday 20 June is free general admission for all, while Friday and Saturday offer free admission to those under 15 years of age. Book tickets

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Shane Breen not only extended his record as the most prolific winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup since it was opened to both genders, he also secured back-to-back wins with the same horse, cruising to victory on Old Lodge’s wonderful grey mare Haya at the Royal International Horse Show.

Shane was the first male rider to win the Queen’s Cup, following the rule change in 2008, and now, with his fourth win, is almost rivalling the record of the great Liz Edgar, who won it on five occasions when it was a women’s-only competition.

This year, Hickstead-based Breen Equestrian, which he runs with wife Chloe (nee Bunn), was also the historic class’s title sponsor.

“Next year, I’ll have to sponsor the King George as well!” Shane quipped.

Clears were slow to come round Kelvin Bywater’s 1.50m track for this prestigious national showdown — only second out Jessica Burke (Express Trend) left the fences intact out of the first 10 rounds. A further six jumped clear before the end of the class, ensuring a decent face-off against the clock.

Jessica gave an indication of the target time with her opening round, posting 38.99sec, but it cost her the first part of the double. Three clears followed, from Adrian Whiteway (Chacco Volo); Sammie-Jo Coffin (Chaccomo Blue) and Philip Miller (Don Royale), but all were in excess of 42sec, leaving the door wide open.

Hickstead maestros battle it out

Serious money would always have been riding on the last three riders to jump, who were all previous winners of this class, with a litany of Hickstead credentials: reigning Derby champion David Simpson, riding 13-year-old Flashback VL, 2022 Derby champion Shane and Harriet Biddick, who has won or come second in most of the major classes here, riding Night Of Glory OL, who like Haya is owned by Old Lodge.

David’s 13-year-old ride, who is owned by Melanie Davies, was the less experienced of the three, but put in a solid bid in 40.18sec, cutting more than 2sec from the lead.

“I said to his owner on the phone outside that he was feeling like he was getting better and better and today he put it all together, so I am very happy with him,” David said.

“I could have been a lot tighter from one to two, as Shane informed me! He’s the first one to tell me when I’ve let something slip!

“I wanted to post a double clear,” he added. “He’s not the quickest especially compared with the two behind me. I thought I might be able to put pressure on and hopefully they’d make a slip up but they both delivered.”

Shane and the lovely 11-year-old grey mare lived up to every promise with their effortlessly smooth round, axing 2.76sec to set a formidable lead.

There was still Harriet and Night Of Glory OL to come and they had arrived at Hickstead on the back of a wave of form, having headed both the area trial and the international stairway at the New Forest Show earlier in the week.

Harriet had the mare’s natural speed and the partnership’s experience to rely on, and looked like she may be able to rival Shane’s target on the final line, but they crossed the finish just over a second behind to take the runner-up spot.

“I know Shane is so fast and when I watched the others go round in excess of 40sec and Shane went round in 37.42sec I knew he’d be hard to beat,” Harriet said.

“I think there was a difference in the size of the horses — mine is smaller and quick across the ground and I added one to the second last which is maybe where I lost it.”

‘I have great respect for her’

Shane was full of praise for Haya, who has mostly been on 5* duties on the Global Champions Tour this year, but who he chose to place in the Queen’s rather than jump the day’s 5* classes.

“I thought it would be nice if she could do the double, so I thought I’d keep her for it,” Shane said. “I’m delighted she did it and delighted for Old Lodge that they have a one-two.

“It felt better winning it this year than last as it was Haya’s second time and I have great respect for her, she’s such a nice mare in every way.

“If you go in the ring and have a fence down, it’s basically you that’s knocked the fence, as she is so incredibly careful.

“She’s an incredible horse, she has such a lovely nature and is like your best friend. She’s lovely with the grooms and everyone. I’m very lucky to have her.”

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

There are not many horses and riders who could jump the famous Hickstead planks with no bridle – but Silver Lift and Harriet Biddick did just that today in the British Speed Derby.

The 18-year-old gelding and Harriet were showing why they are the most successful combination in the class’s history, with three wins under their belt and challenging for a fourth, flying round the course they are so familiar with – when Silver Lift’s forelegs appeared to slip very slightly on top of the Irish bank.

They landed and carried on over the triple of Hickstead planks, just tipping one, and the crowd was starting to roar them home, they might still just do it – but then Harriet lifted her hands, one of which held the bridle, while her horse’s head was bare. It had somehow come off entirely between the bank and the triple.

“The bridle came off his head; I had the throat lash in my hand,” Harriet said. “I don’t know how it happened.”

Harriet said she realised the bridle had gone but the superstar pair jumped through the triple anyway, the penultimate fence, and for a moment it looked as if they might also clear the last oxer, but Silver Lift cantered past on the left side.

“I was going ‘Go right, go right!’” Harriet said. “He’s the only horse I would trust [to do that].”

But it was not to be and the pair completed a circuit of the International Arena before Silver Lift pulled up by the tunnel, Harriet with superb horsemanship sticking all the way.

“He’s such a good horse,” Harriet said.

The class went to speed Derby first-timers Ella Dalton and Quality Rubies N Diamonds.

You might also be interested in:

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The brilliant 19-year-old gelding A Touch Imperious, who has finished second in the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby an incredible five times, has been ruled out of this year’s competition with a minor “ongoing injury”.

His rider Harriet Biddick told H&H that it was “nothing major” and just “bad timing”. However, there are high hopes that he’ll be back to contest the Hickstead Derby again next year, when the gallant veteran will be 20 years old.

“It’s just an ongoing injury and it’s nothing major – but he needs to rest for three weeks which means I can’t do the work and the fitness needed for Hickstead, so it’s just bad timing, but it means that, sadly, he’s not going,” said Harriet, who just missed out again last year when a heel in the water prevented her and “Henry” from joining victor Shane Breen in a jump-off.

But, emphasised Harriet of her “horse of a lifetime”, “There’s no plan of retirement!”

The team are really positive and “pushing for next year”.

“We’ll see how he comes back from this,” explained Harriet, who won’t therefore have a ride in this year’s Derby, which takes place on Sunday 25 June.

“Another horse wasn’t really in the pipeline as it was all about A Touch Imperious, so I’d love to do it on something else at some point, but not this year.”

Going for a Hickstead record

Former national champion Harriet is instead focusing on bidding for a record fourth Hickstead speed Derby victory for another senior equine, the 18-year-old Silver Lift.

“All’s good with him – he had a win at Bath & West on the grass there last week and he was second in another class, so he feels good, all positive and ready to go with him this year,” she said.

“With him automatically qualifying because we won the speed Derby last year, that record to become the first horse to be a four-time winner is really my goal.

“Silver Lift and A Touch Imperious love an atmosphere and they have a reason to be there – it’s just something they enjoy now. It gives them a real buzz,” explained Harriet, who also has another of her great partners, Galway Bay Jed, back in action after a potentially career-ending injury 18 months ago.

Another veteran ruled out of this year’s Hickstead Derby

Harriet shared second in last year’s Hickstead Derby with Shane Breen on his second ride Golden Hawk and the now 19-year-old stallion will also be absent from this year’s competition.

“The plan was to try to get to some shows with him, but he’s been so busy with breeding that it hasn’t worked into the system for his fitness work and to have him ready for Derby day,” Shane told H&H. “He’s producing so well as a breeding stallion, so I decided I’d rather get more of his progeny on the ground, than get him ready for just one day. When I have Can Ya Makan, too, it’s great.

“It’s unfortunate because I think it’s well within Golden Hawk’s capabilities and he should have won a King George and a Derby already, but that’s just the way it goes. He’s a wonderful horse, he’s 18 this year, and it’s hard for them to do everything.”

As well as the 17-year-old Can Ya Makan, Shane will instead also ride his 10-year-old home-bred Scarteen in this year’s Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby, who has recently been bought back for his stable.

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A young showjumper had an “early birthday present” when she and former national champion Harriet Biddick stormed to victory in the mini major at the Great Yorkshire Show (12-15 July).

North Shropshire-based Ella Bryers, who turned 11 on Monday (18 July), was sixth to jump in the pairs class and produced a speedy clear on 19-year-old Bylands Music Man (Jack), a pony she has had on lease from Persia Calderbank since January. As Ella crossed the finish line, her partner Harriet set off on 12-year-old mare Fabienne II and sealed the deal when she jumped clear and stopped the clock on 62.04.

Ella’s mother Nicola told H&H her daughter was “very happy” to draw Harriet’s name from the hat.

“At first we didn’t realise who it was because we were thinking of Harriet’s maiden name Nuttall. But then we realised and Ella was very excited,” said Nicola.

“Harriet walked the course with her and when they came back Ella told me they had made a plan. It’s really nice for the kids to jump with seniors, they learn a lot and it gives them a bit of insight into horses.”

Ella, who was fifth in the Bolesworth International mini major with partner Jack Sterling last month, was “over the moon” to take the win this time.

“We joked it was down to girl power! After they won Ella said it was like an early birthday present,” said Nicola.

“Jack is such a fantastic pony, he enjoys being in the ring and is so quick and careful. He’ll potter round the warm-up but he comes alive in the ring.

“It’s the first time we’ve been to the Great Yorkshire Show and we’ll definitely be back, it was a really lovely day. Next week we are heading to the Welsh Home Pony and hope Ella might be selected for the 128cm team there, and she might jump the Horse of the Year Show qualifier too.”

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Shane Breen said winning his first Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby title was one of the highlights of his stellar career, adding that all four riders on the podium deserved to win “and luckily, thankfully, it was my day today”.

Shane and Can Ya Makan jumped the only clear, only the 65th clear in 60 years of this class, with Harriet Biddick (A Touch Imperious), Carlos Eduardo Mota Ribas (Jella Van’T Kathof) and Dermott Lennon (Gelvins Touch) in equal second, with Shane’s second ride Golden Hawk, on four faults apiece.

“I’m delighted for Golden Hawk,” he said. “In 2019, we jumped clear and then were unlucky in the jump-off; he’s been an amazing horse for me, and I’d have loved either of them to win, but it was Can Ya Makan today, and he’s again been a fantastic horse for me.

“I feel for Harriet as she’s been second so many times; she’s jumped clear or had one down but been the bridesmaid, but she will be back. He’s an Irish horse; he’s tough.”

Shane added that Can Ya Makan had been a bit “suspicious” at one point in the class, towards a fence he had had down before, but although the 16-year-old gave it a rub, it stayed put.

“I think my mother and Douglas Bunn were looking down, and holding the pole down for me,” he said, adding that he had been overwhelmed by the support he has had; family and friends there cheering him on, and brother Trevor, a previous Hickstead Derby winner, ringing from Rotterdam with congratulations.

“People have kept saying this has to be my year and I’ve said it’s been my year for the last 15 years!” he said. “It’s nothing about the money, it’s a class that everyone tunes into, at home in Ireland and around the world. I used to think when I was 80, I’d come down with a zimmer frame and an old horse and jump round, but I won’t have to do that now!”

Shane said even winning the grand prix at Dublin, on the home turf where he had been inspired to be a showjumper, compared to this.

“When I jumped the last with Can Ya Makan, something inside me went,” he said. “I got a bit emotional. All these guys here; we all deserved to win, and luckily, thankfully, it was my day today. It’s just fantastic to get it done.”

It was heartbreak for Harriet, who again won the speed Derby yesterday (25 June) on Silver Lift but was denied the chance to take on Shane in a jump-off by her superstar 18-year-old campaigner’s foot in the water. This was the fifth time the combination had finished second in the Hickstead Derby, and they have also come third twice.

“If you’d told me before he’d won the Derby trial and come second in the Derby, I’d have taken it, but it is bittersweet,” she said. “I’m absolutely chuffed with him; two years off and he’s come back to jump as amazing as he just did; I couldn’t have asked any more from him.”

Harriet added that all other things being equal, another attempt next year is not off the cards.

“He feels as amazing as ever and we’ve just got to keep going,” she said. “I don’t know but the way he jumped today; not definitely but if he feels like this, then yes. Unless anything stops us, that’s what I will be aiming for.”

Dermott said Gelvins Touch had a “bit of a boo boo” in the Hamburg Derby this year, slipping and falling on the bank in wet conditions. The horse then had a “nervy moment” on the bank today, rolling the pole of the fence immediately afterwards.

“But the rest of it he was really, really good,” he said.

Carlos, who also finished second in the speed Derby on Trix, said in yesterday’s press conference that he would be sitting in Shane’s seat today.

“I think I didn’t say it with enough conviction,” the Brazilian rider joked. “I should have hit the table, so the universe knew.

“I’m very happy to be here. I’ve been sixth in the Derby twice, and twice I’ve fallen off, and once I was eliminated, so I’m improving!”

Carlos added that he has heard some say Hickstead is old-fashioned.

“I totally disagree,” he said. “The crowd love it, they know the course, everyone enjoys it. The Hickstead Derby isn’t dying, it will start to live

again.“It’s a class that should live to eternity, and I will keep doing it. As long as I live, I’ll be here.”

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After a two-year hiatus, Harriet Biddick and the gallant 17-year-old Silver Lift picked up where they left off to claim their third Hickstead speed derby victory.

The reigning champions from the class’s last edition in 2019 took the win from last to jump, using all of their experience to find 0.62sec of headway.

Their three wins as a combination put them on a level with record-setters David Bowen and Delsey, who landed three consecutive victories between 1990 and 1992, and Captain John Ledingham and Castlepollard, who repeated the feat between 1993 and 1995.

But the partnership go down in history for their enduring consistency, as they have also landed second place on three further occasions.

“It seems a little surreal at the moment but I am over the moon really,” Harriet said.

A few things have changed for Harriet in the two years since she last claimed this title: she has got married to jockey Will Biddick and had son Archie, now 16 months old.

“Mickey”, meanwhile, has spent two years being ridden by 15-year-old Joss Phillips.

“My dad [Rupert Nuttall] had a great plan to ask if we could have him back in June this year for the speed derby and thank God he did,” Harriet said. “He goes back to them in two weeks time. I hope we will be back again though.”

There was a high percentage of inexperienced combinations in this year’s field, with Harriet’s greatest rivals in recent years Matt Sampson and Top flight True Carlo not competing, while Guy William’s double victor Casper De Muze has now retired.

The greatest threat looked like it might come from Guy’s new ride this year, the stallion Triomphe Kervec, only for the partnership to drop out of contention when they were eliminated at the second fence.

Two very quick mares were also in the running, having performed well in the back ring speed derby qualifier. Jess Hewitt and Hot Bluebird, winners of last year’s winter B&C championship at the July meeting, started strongly but the mare was reluctant to drop down the bank and was eliminated after ducking out at the treble of planks.

Jackson Reed Stephenson and Muna VD Bisschop, winners of the qualifier, also ended up retiring.

By the time 16 of 23 competitors had jumped, pathfinder Charlene Bastone was lying in first and second place. She had produced a solid clear with the green mare Halina HL from first-to-go and followed up with a round that edged 0.34 sec ahead on her more experienced second ride Fyberlinus H, who was fast but lowered two of the three planks.

But it was Brazillian Carlos Eduardo Mota Ribas, a regular Hickstead competitor who first came here in 1998, who challenged Harriet by breaking the 100sec barrier — the marker of a round in true contention.

While a Brazilian has won the Derby before — Nelson Pessoa in 1996 — no Brazillian has ever won the speed derby, but Carlos came close. He set a time of 97.23 aboard John and Clare Whitaker’s eight-year-old Trix, who was tacking the course for the first time.

“I knew a 97sec round is a winning time in the speed derby so my plan going in was to go in and go for it,” Harriet said. “I thought if I have a fence, I need to be a bit more cautious as I would only have another fence in hand before Charlene’s time.

“When I went in though I went too slow at the start, so I was in a bit of a panic at end, cutting it fine.”

Carlos took the ride on Trix following a conversation with Robert Whitaker at a show in Belgium in December and realised recently that he could be a contender for this class.

“I started riding him and we very much clicked together. A month ago we tried some natural fences and he didn’t hesitate. In my mind I knew we could have a good round here,” he said.

“To win I knew I would have to beat madame here [Harriet] and the top riders who are specialists in these kind of classes, but you never know what will happen. I jumped the trial yesterday and a two-phase to show him the way.

“I had my plan and I know the course very well — I fell off at the Irish bank before. I have had so much misery in this ring, but also so much happiness.

“I know exactly how I lost this though,” he added. “I jumped the white gate and saw the Irish bank and saw a straight line on a long stride long distance. I thought I’d prefer to go to the BBQ tonight rather than hospital, so I knew Harriet would be winning!”

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Two of this year’s hot favourites to take the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby opted to share the spoils in the Derby trial and save their horses for the main event, after jumping the sole clear rounds.

William Funnell and Equine America Billy Diamo were the first to leave the fences standing round this Derby-qualifying track, which includes pared-down versions of the famous Derby fences, including the bank and Devil’s Dyke.

He was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Harriet Biddick and her Derby legend A Touch Imperious — who has a phenomenal track record round the course, jumping clear rounds in 2017 and 2019, but has never won.

The shared victory was a waypoint in an emotionally-charged week for the pair. As William aims for a Derby victory on Sunday (26 June) with 12-year-old first-timer Billy Diamo, his mother will be on his mind.

“It’s actually very poignant for me, because my mother was looking forward to coming this week, and unfortunately, she died last week,” he said. “She would have loved to have been here. Hopefully she’ll be there with me on Sunday and help me to get it done.”

William is one of an elite group of five riders who have won the Derby on four occasions. His first three wins were with the great Mondriaan, who took home the silverware in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

William’s last Derby victory was in 2018 with the imposing chestnut Billy Buckingham, who was lost prematurely following a freak accident at home in 2020.

“[Billy Diamo] is more similar to Mondriaan than Billy Buckingham. They’ve all been big horses, but all quite blood in their own way,” William said.

Although William has never won the Derby on a first timer, Billy Buckingham won it on his second attempt, having lost out because of a minor step back on the top of the bank the first time round.

“[Billy Diamo] is a big, honest horse, and today it was nice to go and get a bit of confidence for Sunday,” he said.

“I actually jumped the Derby trial on him as an eight-year-old; he had the gate down, but otherwise had a great round. Then I was on nations cup duty with him, and he was on the shortlist for the Games with him last year, so he’s a good grand prix horse in his own right.”

Harriet, meanwhile, must have wondered whether the now 18-year-old “Henry” would set foot on Hickstead’s historic turf again, after he suffered two consecutive injuries that put him out of action for two years.

The lay-off coincided with two cancelled Hickstead Derbies during the pandemic but in recent weeks the 17.2hh Irish gelding has made a comeback, displaying his characteristic, careful consistency.

“He’s kind of exceeding my expectations, because he was clear yesterday in the 1.45m [Stoner Jeweller’s vase] and then he jumped cracking today. I didn’t feel I gave him the best ride, and I thought he was very, very genuine to me.

“Hopefully on Sunday I’ll kick myself into shape a bit more, but what will be will be,” said Harriet, who remains pragmatic about the significant burden of expectation on her shoulders.

“It would mean a lot to win, but actually, he owes me nothing – as a horse he’s achieved far more than I could ever have imagined, and I’ve had an amazing career on him. He’s 18 years old now. He can’t do any more and I can’t do any more, so everything we do now is a massive bonus.

“Coming to Hickstead just lights him up and I am lucky I have a lot of people behind me. We’ll just have to see what happens on Sunday.”

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James Whitaker won the Equerry Horse Feeds Under-25 Grand Prix on the first day of the TheraPlate UK Liverpool International Horse Show. Riding the Lutener family’s 11-year-old Caloro Ex Z, the 22-year-old member of showjumping’s most famous family produced one of only two double clear rounds.

Stopping the clock at 42.75 seconds in the jump-off, James overtook fellow British rider Robert Murphy and Highgrove Violet, who completed Alan Wade’s track in 43.25 seconds.

Faster than them both in a time of 42.68 was Harry Wainwright on Pinheiro Beech, but a pole down in the first round meant they could only finish third, while Ireland’s Jason Foley, the only other first-round clear with Castlefield Cass and last to go in the jump-off, hit two fences and took fourth place.

James only took over the ride on the Candillo Z gelding from Elizabeth Lutener four months ago.

He said: “We didn’t have the best of weeks at Olympa, but we’ve come back, tried harder and got stronger for it. You’ve got to learn from your mistakes, and this was just as tough a course as Olympia.

“Going second-last in the jump-off played into my hands a bit as I could put pressure on Jason in pole position. This is a great way to end the year.”

Continued below…

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It was a British clean sweep in the showjumping classes at TheraPlate UK Liverpol today, as Harriet Nuttall took both of the first two competitions — the opening 1.40m two-phase on Night Of Glory, and the Ifor Williams Trailers Ride & Drive with Silver Lift.

Guy Williams won the Pullman Hotel 1.45m speed class on the experienced Rouge De Ravel.

“He’s probably won about 20 rankings classes this year and something like this is right up his street because he’s very fast,” said Guy. “The only person I was worried about was Lily [Attwood, who finished second] — I train her and I know her horse is really fast too.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now