Latest from Horse & Hound in William-whitaker

Meet the £1k purchase who won the 2026 Hickstead Derby against the odds: ‘He needs a book about all the ups and downs of his life’

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:13:47 +0000

When charismatic 18hh “gentle giant” showjumping horse Flamboyant III won the 2026 Al Shira’aa Derby at Hickstead with William Whitaker in the saddle, he captured our hearts once again. Not only has the puissance hero wowed the crowds with his high-jump antics, the 16-year-old gelding has now thrilled us all with a string of gallant Hickstead Derby efforts, twice finishing runner-up – in 2024 and 2025 – before finally landing the historic showpiece with a spectacular double clear.

“He deserved this win,” said William after the fairytale success.

But what a journey the brilliant “Banksy” has been on, particularly with owners Vicky Smith and her son Elliott, the gelding’s regular rider.

“We’re so proud of all he has achieved, but Elliott needs to write a book about all the ups and downs of his life story!” says Vicky Smith.

Flamboyant III: “Strong, difficult, a bit unmanageable”

Flamboyant III, a son of VDL Cardento 933 out of Amarenz (by Niveau) was bred in the Netherlands by Anrike Trip-van Ijzeren, who travelled from Holland to watch her home-bred win the Hickstead Derby this year. Anrike sold him at auction as a three-year-old for little over £1,000 before Vicky Smith and her then teenage son Elliott bought him as an unbroken youngster.

“When we viewed Flamboyant loose jumping as a three-year-old, he jumped a massive gate and we thought, ‘He’s going to be good!’” explains Elliott.

But, as Vicky explains, it certainly wasn’t all plain-sailing.

“We sent him to Sammie-Jo Coffin to back and she described him as one of the worst she’d ever had,” says Vicky. “He was strong, difficult, a bit unmanageable and was always shooting off. It turned out he had terrible kissing spines.

“He was operated on, but could barely put one foot in front of the other so I didn’t think he’d ever do anything again. It took two years of rehab, but we had so much belief in him.

“We’ve had to be very, very patient and spent many hours with him. He had to learn to realise that it didn’t hurt when he jumped anymore. He still takes a lot of patience and calming, he’s definitely unique!”

Why Flamboyant’s first puissance attempt was “an afterthought”

Elliott describes the early years with Banksy as “a learning curve”.

“We progressed together – when I was going through my teenage years, he was doing the same sort of thing – but we took things slowly to make sure he had longevity because he was always a horse we were going to keep,” he reveals.

“He’s big and strong, so he makes the distances a bit too easily – as a six-year-old at Addington, he put in one stride at a two-stride double, so that was something we had to work on. But he made up for it with his jump,” he says.

“We jumped our first puissance more as an afterthought. I’d never jumped higher than 1.80m and that was the wall’s starting height, but we went the full five rounds and cleared 2.20m, which was a shock! But it felt so easy.”

Elliott and Flamboyant had found their forté and finished equal first in the Bolesworth puissance in 2019, 2021 and 2024 and they were placed at both Horse of the Year Show and the London International in 2022.

Hickstead Derby dreams and downfalls

“I always had aspirations to jump in the Hickstead Derby,” says Elliott. “Then in 2022 I fell off him after crossing the finish line in the Derby trial, breaking my leg. Lizzie Bunn said, ‘You’ve qualified, so who would you like to ride him, William Whitaker or another rider?’

“William has always been a big idol to me, so it was the perfect match. I had surgery on my leg the following day, then watched them jump an amazing 12-fault round from my bed on Sunday. Flamboyant proved he suited Derby classes and we’ve never looked back.”

William Whitaker takes up the story, saying: “It was very unfortunate what happened to Elliott in the Derby trial, but I said I’d give the Derby a go! I popped a few fences and tried to get a feel for him. He’s such a big horse, but he’s really sensitive. His adrenaline gets going, he starts running with his big stride and everything gets a bit short.

“He had three down that first year, but he did a lot of things well. He came home with me and stayed until the following Derby while Elliott was off, but the past two years I’ve only ridden him at Hickstead. It’s just a question of trying to remember what buttons I pressed last time!”

William Whitaker produces the “fairytale finish” with Flamboyant III in the 2026 Hickstead Derby, jumping a spectacular double clear. (Image credit: Elli Birch)

All in the preparation

Flamboyant lives with the Smiths in Devon for the majority of the year.

“We do lots of hillwork to keep him fit,” says Elliott. “I get to jump some bigger classes with him, then William takes him for the Derby shows, so it works out well.”

William was back in the saddle for last month’s Hamburg Derby, jumping a super round but just falling victim to the tricky double of single poles to finish sixth.

“He was very unlucky not to jump clear with the effort he put in,” says William. “There’s not much to back them off the double of rails where he faulted, especially after you’ve jumped the big oxer before, and he has such a big stride that he almost jumped in too well and made up too much ground.

“But from the moment he trotted in the ring, I felt him take a breath and relax and I thought that’s a good start, because it’s so different on Derby day with all the photographers in the ring and thousands of spectators. Then I just got him in a lovely rhythm and tried to make it as easy as possible for him.

“But I was glad for the two qualifiers in Hamburg, I felt like I needed them! Sunday was the most relaxed he’d been all week, he had definitely settled a bit by then.

“His best attribute is that he could jump a house and the Derby obstacles don’t faze him,” continues William.

Flamboyant’s only flaw? “You can’t catch him!” says William of the “gentle giant”.

“The first time we turned him out, it took six hours to get him in – in the end, I rang Elliott and said, ‘How do you catch this bloody horse, because in a minute he’s going to be staying out for the night!’ Eventually, when it was on his terms, he decided to come in,” he says.

William Whitaker, son Oliver and groom Lewis Robert Shaw share a moment after winning the Hickstead Derby. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

A fairytale finish in this year’s Hickstead Derby

William finished second to his cousin Robert Whitaker (Getlemen VH Veldhof) after a three-way jump-off for last year’s Hickstead Derby, having jumped an elusive first clear in the opening round. The previous year he missed out to William Funnell and Dublon in a similar jump-off decider after three horses completed on four faults apiece.

This year, he went head-to-head with 2023 winners David Simpson and Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve in another epic jump-off after both jumped clear in round one.

“Having jumped clear last year and come so close to winning, you do feel Flamboyant deserved to have the Derby on his résumé,” says William, who watched past videos of Flamboyant’s Derby rounds in preparation “to look for anything in particular we need to work on”.

“My 2016 Hickstead Derby winner Max, Glenavadra Brilliant, was in a similar bracket – he deserved everything to come right for him on the day and eventually it did.”

Much of the credit for the final preparations go to William’s wife Elisabeth, who has been riding Flamboyant at home since the Hamburg Derby.

“I was lucky enough to get selected to go to St Gallen,” explains William. “Then I went to Poland for two weeks with Millfield Quickstep on Nations Cups, and Elisabeth said, because he’s a bit of a strong horse, ‘Who’s going to be riding Flamboyant?’ I said, ‘You are!’ You’ve done a fantastic job, love, well done.”

Vicky sums up: “William Whitaker, with his wealth of experience, manages Banksy brilliantly. Because he’s still a very tricky ride, he requires a lot of patience and calming, and the way William reads how to jump each fence on him is incredible. I can’t watch, though! I’m hiding.

“He’s taught Elliott so much about the journey of life – it’s not just about the winning, it’s the maintenance and the looking after and as long as he comes back safe, sound and happy, that’s all that matters. He’s the horse of a lifetime, we’re so lucky to have him.”

Congratulations to the whole team behind the magnificent Flamboyant III – the Hickstead fairytale finally happened.

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‘Keep the trophy well away from me this time!’ How William Whitaker’s previous Hickstead Derby win was ‘ear today, gone tomorrow’…

Eleanor Jones — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:38:31 +0000

When Hickstead director Lizzie Bunn brought the famous Boomerang trophy to William Whitaker yesterday (21 June), he said: “Make sure you put a helmet on it this year!”

William and Vicky Smith’s fabulous Flamboyant III won the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby yesterday, in a jump-off with 2023 winners David Simpson and Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve, having come second in the class two years running.

And after his victory, William revealed things had not gone entirely to plan the first time he won the Derby, with Glenavadra Brilliant in 2016.

‘I forgot to say,” Hickstead director Edward Bunn said in the post-Derby press conference. “I checked the trophy and it’s got two ears.”

William explained the story, which most of those present would not have heard before.

“Last time I won the Derby with Glenavadra Brilliant, we had a big party, believe it or not, that evening,” he said. “When I woke up in the morning, I was at Daisy [Bunn’s] house, and I woke up with a great feeling.

“I walked into the kitchen and the trophy was there on the table. And I thought ‘that’s a bit like in a movie’, looking at the trophy. And I looked, and I looked again, and I thought, ‘Oh no’. One of the ears had been knocked off. I immediately went to Daisy and said ‘Who’s going to tell Lizzie [Bunn]?!’ But anyway, she took it very well.”

Commentator John Stokes said he thought Daisy was planning a party again that evening.

“But hopefully we’ll keep the trophy safe,” he said.

“Keep it well away from me, anyway!” William said.

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‘The horse deserved to win’: William Whitaker wins second Hickstead Derby – 10 years after his first

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 19:03:32 +0000

William Whitaker ended a 10-year wait for a second Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby title in fabulous style, with two perfect clear rounds – and joked that he hopes he won’t have to wait another 10 years to do it again.

William, who won the Boomerang trophy with Glenavadra Brilliant in 2016, and the mighty Flamboyant III, whom he first rode in the Derby as a catch ride four years ago, and has come second for the last two years, triumphed in a jump-off over 2023 winners David Simpson and Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve.

David had predicted a jump-off of five or six horses after he and Miriam Rohr’s 11-year-old won the Derby trial. But in the end it was just these two warriors who went head to head.

“When you’ve got a horse who’s come so close the last few years – before today, the horse deserved to win a Derby from the rounds he’d already jumped,” Will said.

“But obviously, you only get one shot a year, and you’re just hoping and praying that your preparation – not just me, [owners] Elliot Smith and his family do so much work as well with him – so to finally get it done is a huge relief. I’m absolutely delighted.”

There were 31 starters this year including some very strong competition, but one by one they fell by the wayside as the sun blazed over the International Arena. Hot contenders Stephan Dubsky held the lead briefly on four faults – heartbreakingly clipping the very last pole – and last year’s podium finishers Sammie-Jo Coffin and Chaccomo Blue scored the same, just lowering the rail after the bank.

Then David and his powerhouse stallion came in. They jumped a beautiful round, and carried their luck with them; they knocked a brick in the wall but not enough to dislodge it, then rattled the last element of the Devil’s Dyke so the pole bounced clear out of its cups – but landed safely back in them. They came home without another murmur, to a roar from the crowd.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

And as was the case in the previous day’s speed Derby, once one had a clear round, they all wanted one. Next in was William and the imposing 16-year-old gelding, who jumped what looked like an exhibition round, calm, composed and perfect to secure a jump-off.

Derek McCoppin came closest to joining the two clears; he and the fabulous Capital Levubu, who had gone clear in Friday’s trial, looked set to do the same, the big scopey grey jumping for fun to leave everything up – but a splash of blue as they jumped the water ended their dream.

“He’s just an amazing horse,” Derek said. “He loves it in there; he jumped everything, just maybe I was a bit steady and should have kept the tempo up. But he just gets better and better and is still feeling as fresh as a daisy. If you’d told me last week I’d go round for four, I’d have been absolutely delighted. We’ll be back next year.”

So the stage was set for the showdown, and David was in first. A quick pat, and off they went, moving up a gear. They jumped the second on a curve, and rode a beautiful curve to the privet hedge, and back on themselves to the dyke. But the luck that had been on their side in the first round deserted them, and this time it was the middle element that fell.

They flew the rest to finish in 86.26sec but the pressure was on Will, as if he and Flamboyant could just leave everything up, the title was theirs.

The silence was almost absolute as they cleared the Cornishman for the second time. Over the second, the black gate, the wall, the hedge and the dyke; coming out clear to a brief cheer, quickly shushed as they approached the water. Then the rails, round to the last line – and a mighty roar of approval from the crowd.

2026 Hickstead Derby winner

“Flamboyant felt great,” Will said. “He was a bit sharper than I would have liked in the collecting ring but actually went in and settled down and gave me a fantastic feeling all the way round. He just let me do what I needed to do to make it as easy as possible for him.”

Asked what he was thinking as he rode into the ring, Will said: “I had about 10 Whitakers in the chute on the way up to the ring, all giving me information and telling me what the plan was, and each one of them was saying a different thing.

“Steven said ‘You’ve got to go slow’, Michael said ‘You’ve got to go fast’. Robert said ‘You might as well just have a go, and if you have one down, you might still win’. I thought ‘Goodness me, I don’t know what to do now!’

“David’s is a naturally quicker horse so I thought I just had to do my round and if I had one down early, I’d have to just throw caution to the winds. That was the plan, and luckily I didn’t have to do the second part of it.”

David said that as Pjotr is the faster horse, he knew a clear round should be enough to win.

“I didn’t see him knocking out the middle element of the dyke, but the luck I had in the first round ran out for the jump-off,” he said. “He loves it here at Hickstead; I’m delighted with how he was today.

“Will’s a great pal of mine and one day he’s going to win, one day I’m going to win. You just go in, do your job, and whoever’s day it is, it’s their day.”

David said Pjotr felt “amazing”, but that jumping the Derby is all about the rhythm, and for some reason he couldn’t find one at first in his opening round.

“Until I jumped the wall, I couldn’t find one, and luckily he helped me,” he said.

“I actually wasn’t too happy, but then took the first distance to the hedge, and everything came together.

“And in the jump-off, even with the heat and everything, he actually felt better again. I couldn’t be happier with him.”

Credit to the home teams

Both riders paid tribute to their horses’ teams; the grooms, owners and all those at home, who “allow us to deliver these results”, David said.

Sammie-Jo said she was delighted with her 16-year-old superstar, whom she owns with Brian O’Malley, and who was clearly enjoying every second of his Derby trip.

“I had more control coming down the bank than last year!” she said. “He just touched it, he didn’t mean to, but he was amazing; to do that in the Derby. He was a little bit wild – he knows where he’s going now – but it was amazing.”

Six combinations shared sixth place on eight faults apiece: Jessica Hewett (Kann Be Lucky), Shane Breen (Eristov), Gemma Stevens (Envoy Merelsnest Z), Commandant Geoff Curran (Hawthornhill), Alex Bragg (Hegglelane Houston) and Guy Williams (BH Gringos Legacy).

The 2024 champions William Funnell and Dublon jumped the trial but retired, and an overreach ruled them out of the Derby. Mark Edwards and Dillinger NE were bidding to make history as the first combination to win the speed Derby and Derby in the same year but luck was not with them and they finished with 24 faults.

Hickstead director Edward Bunn paid tribute to all who had contributed to a “wonderful” week of sport at the 2026 Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby meeting.

“I think we’ve had the busiest equestrian participation, more than 2,000 horses have competed in showjumping this week, 4,800 competition rounds, and it’s been phenomenal,” he said.

“I’d just like to thank Al Shira’aa Stables, Al Shira’aa, Sheika Fatima and Sammy for the support they continue to show this meeting because without them and our other sponsors Agria and others, we wouldn’t be able to put these shows on. That’s from everybody, the Bunn family and our Hickstead family, which you are all a part of.”

“And what a Derby,” he added. “I think it was another classic Derby; they’re always classics. “There were lots and lots of good rounds and it shows that this class is still important, still special, to us, to Hickstead and to the world to produce fantastic sport like this.”

But the last word went to William, whose wife Elisabeth has been riding Flamboyant.

“We did the Hamburg Derby and then I was lucky enough to get selected to go to St Gallen, where Dave was as well,” he said. “Then I went to Poland for two weeks with Millfield Quickstep on Nations Cups, and Elisabeth said, because he’s a bit of a strong horse, ‘Who’s going to be riding Flamboyant?’ I said, ‘You are!’ You’ve done a fantastic job love, well done.”

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A Who’s Who of Whitakers: how well do you know the famous family of showjumpers?

Jennifer Donald — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:28:36 +0000

The Whitaker family of showjumpers has been the backbone of the sport for nearly half a century.

The famous sporting dynasty stems from the late Donald Whitaker, a Yorkshire farmer, and his wife Enid Whitaker, a keen horsewoman, and it is through their four sons, John, Michael, Ian and Steven, that the legendary Whitaker showjumping name was made.

Here is a complete Who’s Who of the famous Whitaker family.

The Whitaker family Who’s Who

Family of John Whitaker, married to Clare Whitaker

John Whitaker (born 1955) is the oldest of the four brothers and has been at the top of the sport for five decades, winning 21 championship medals, including with the mighty Milton. He and wife Clare have three children, Louise, Robert and Joanne Whitaker, all of whom compete internationally.

Louise Whitaker

John and Clare’s eldest daughter Louise (born 1980) is now a highly respected producer of young horses, married to Ian Turner with two children, Harvey and Sienna.

Robert Whitaker

John and Clare’s son Robert (born 1983) regularly competes at five-star level showjumping and is a British team rider and Hickstead Derby winner. He and wife Kate have two young daughters, Evie and Millie, both of whom are keen young riders.

Joanne Whitaker

The youngest of John and Clare’s children, Joanne (born 1987) is also a hugely talented rider, producing many top horses in their early years.

The Whitaker family tree (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Family of Steven Whitaker, married to Carole Whitaker

Steven Whitaker (born 1957) also competed in showjumping to international level and now runs an equestrian business with son Joe. He and Carole have four children, Ellen, Joe, Thomas and Donald Whitaker, all of whom are international showjumpers.

Ellen Whitaker

Steven and Carole’s eldest daughter Ellen Whitaker (born 1986) is a very successful international rider and has made her name winning some of the world’s biggest grands prix. She has two sons, Harry and Frankie, with her former partner Antonio Marinas Soto.

Joe Whitaker

Steven and Carole’s second child Joe (born 1988) has also jumped on British teams, as well as riding as a National Hunt jockey. He is married to Fiona and they have four children, Sophia, Stevie Joe, Emily and Bonnie.

Thomas Whitaker

The third of Steven and Carole’s children, Tom Whitaker (born 1990) runs his own business, Tom Whitaker Equestrian, buying, selling and producing horses as well as competing internationally and teaching.

Donald Whitaker

The youngest of Steven and Carole’s four children, Donald Whitaker (born 1992) is named after his grandfather, the late patriarch of the Whitaker clan, and he is making a real name for himself on the international circuit, currently based in Germany with girlfriend German team rider Nicola Pohl.

The Whitaker family celebrate Michael and Melissa’s wedding (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Family of Michael Whitaker, married to Melissa Whitaker

Michael Whitaker (born 1960) is the third son of Enid and Donald, following in the footsteps of his oldest brother John to become one of the greatest showjumpers in the world, winning 15 championship medals and the Hickstead Derby four times. He and Melissa have three children, Jack, Molly and Katy.

Jack Whitaker

Jack Whitaker (born 2001) is one of the brightest young stars in showjumping, having won individual gold at the pony European Championships and he is representing the Whitaker family showjumping dynasty as a regular competitor on the five-star circuit.

Family of Ian Whitaker, married to Alison Whitaker

Although he’s a knowledgeable horseman, Ian is the only brother who followed the farming route rather than becoming a professional showjumper. He and his wife Alison have nevertheless passed on the jumping genes as all three of their sons, William, George and James, are involved in the sport.

William Whitaker

The oldest son of Ian and Alison, William (born 1989) is another member of the Whitaker family to represent Great Britain on showjumping teams, as well as jumping to victory in grands prix and he has won the Hickstead Derby. He is married to Elisabeth Whitaker and they have three children, Isabella, Oliver and Evelyn.

George Whitaker

William’s younger brother George (born 1992) is another successful showjumper from the family competing at both national and international level. He is married to fellow showjumper Michaela Whitaker and the couple run Dallamires Stables together. Their young daughter Gracie May is achieving great success in the show ring.

James Whitaker

The youngest son of Ian and Alison, Jim (born 1997) is a regular winner on the national circuit and Queen’s Cup victor, producing some top class horses from his base in Yorkshire. He married Isabella in 2024.

Then we mustn’t forget international rider Joe Clayton, who is a second cousin of the Whitakers and was based with Michael Whitaker in his early days.

It’s quite some family – no wonder the Whitakers have become showjumping royalty!

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‘Ready to show everyone what she’s capable of’: exciting mare delights proud connections and King Edward makes long-awaited 5* comeback

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 11 May 2026 17:05:42 +0000

William Whitaker and superstar mare Millfield Quickstep produced a coming-of-age performance to win the 1.50m grand prix at the CSIO3* Longines EEF Nations Cup of Lier, Belgium.

The duo lined up yesterday (10 May) among 13 combinations in the jump-off and won with a 0.2sec margin over Belgian rider Gilles Thomas (Happy Landais), claiming the €15,000 top prize.

“I managed to watch a couple of the earlier riders so I had a rough idea of what I needed to do,” said William, who was drawn eighth for the jump-off. “But I had some quick ones coming after me as well so I just had to be as quick as I could without doing anything too risky.

“There were a lot of turnbacks, so it was all about getting in a good rhythm at the start then just getting your turns as quickly as you could. Quickstep is very with you in those kinds of jump-offs, which makes a massive difference.”

William Whitaker: “Millfield Stud is getting recognition for the years of hard work”

William Whitaker has been riding the 11-year-old mare Millfield Quickstep (Quiwi Dream x San Patrignano Cassini) for the past four years. She is owned and was bred by the Millfield Stud in Yorkshire; Brian Thompson produced the mare through her early years.

“They’ve bred some really good horses and they’re getting recognition for the years of hard work that go into breeding!” William told H&H.

“Brian took her time with her until she was seven, then at that stage I just carried on the same. She’s stepped up a bit every year and now she’s feeling like she’s ready to go out there and show everyone what she’s really capable of. She feels in a very good place, physically as well.

“She’s always had good results through the years, but it’s good to finally get her first three-star grand prix win, so I’m delighted for everyone involved because there’s a lot of hard work that goes in over the years – it’s nice to get a result on the board. It felt very much like a coming-of-age performance; she’s feeling really strong and confident in everything she’s doing.

“I’ve really needed another top horse but you’ve got to be patient; it takes time. It’s great to get the year off to a good start, too,” he said.

Millfield Quickstep: a dream horse

William Whitaker describes Millfield Quickstep as the dream horse to ride and look after.

“She’s a funny one really because she’s so laid back, but it’s all in there, she just keeps it to herself a bit,” he said. “When you see her walking round the collecting ring you think ‘Bloody hell, she looks half asleep!’ then she goes in the ring and just lights up. Utamaro was like that too actually. They just know.”

William was fifth rider for the British team, which finished second to Belgium in Friday’s Longines EEF Nations Cup. The quartet of Jodie Hall McAteer (La Gupardie), Sienna Charles with Stall Zet’s Stardust, Emily Ward, making her senior team debut on Wild Star HF and Harry Charles, debuting the exciting nine-year-old Fighting Phil in a Nations Cup team, finished on a team score of just four faults.

“I was very pleased with all my riders’ efforts, they were focused and rode well on mainly inexperienced horses,” said chef d’equipe Matt Lanni. “This is what this series is for – it tests both the horse and rider to perform and the least experienced horses have the chance to develop. It’s a fantastic series, which allows up-and-coming riders to get into three-star shows, which can prove difficult, and I’m pleased the governing bodies support us and send teams to compete in this series.

“The competition was tight all the way through and the home team Belgium had to jump clear in the final round to beat us.”

Longines EEF Nations Cup Lier results

Henrik von Eckermann and King Edward during the Paris Olympics showjumping individual qualifier. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Welcome back King Edward!

Also making headlines on the international showjumping circuit this week was crowd favourite King Edward. Henrik von Eckermann and his world championship-winning partner made a long-awaited return to the top level at the Longines Versilia Horse Show in Italy. The 16-year-old gelding returned from a year on the sidelines in April, competing at one-star level before stepping up to the top tier in Italy this week, jumping for just four faults in Sunday’s five-star grand prix. Henrik won an early five-star speed class riding the 10-year-old Steely Dan. The Swedish rider forms part of a strong contingent heading for the CSI5* classes at Royal Windsor this week (15-17 May).

Longines Versilia Horse Show results
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‘I’ve been watching this since I was a kid’: Whitaker thrilled to win first Hickstead Derby, with 19-year-old superstar

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 18:30:33 +0000

There is a new name – at least a new first name – on the Boomerang Trophy, as Robert Whitaker triumphed in the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby for the first time, after a three-strong jump-off.

Robert and 19-year-old Gentlemen VH Veldhof jumped the fastest of three four-fault second rounds to finish just ahead of William Whitaker and Flamboyant III, and Sammie Jo Coffin on Chaccomo Blue in third.

Robert’s father John and uncle Michael have each won the Derby four times, and his cousin William once, but Robert had been unlucky – until now.

“I’ve tried to win a few times, but never really had the right horse,” he said. “I’ve gone round for four faults before, but years ago. Gentlemen has done it a few times; he was unlucky last year, and has been on great form, so I really knew he had a good chance. And he pulled it off.”

The Derby is a class often won in the first round and clears are hard to come by so some of the crowd may have been taken by surprise by Sammie Jo and the 15-year-old she owns with Brian O’Malley, who were first into the ring and flew round without a fault. This must be easy, any newcomers to the class may have thought, as the pair’s polished professional performance looked effortless.

But Sammie Jo then had no doubt a nail-biting wait as the next 18 combinations could not match her; her nearest contenders were on eight faults and seven had been eliminated or retired before Robert came in. Those who did not complete included Michael Whitaker, who had been eyeing a fifth Derby title with D&H Q Paravatti N, and was making it look easy, but then was unseated when the 13-year-old mare couldn’t quite get to the fence at the foot of the bank and stopped.

Robert and Caroline Blatchford’s stallion had confirmed a jump-off; there was some whistling heard from the sidelines as they approached the last fairly close to the 180secs allowed but they finished well within, on 176.93.

Winner. Robert Whitaker (GBR) and Gentleman VH Veldhof in The Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby at The Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting, The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead, Sussex, United Kingdom. June 22nd 2025 (Image credit: Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves)

But those hoping last year’s winners William Funnell and Dublon would feature in the jump-off, and be in contention for a sixth title, were disappointed when the course specialists fell foul of the Devil’s Dyke and the Derby rails, and tipped the last oxer to finish on 12 faults. But William and Victoria Smith’s 15-year-old, who finished second in the 2024 Derby, went round like the pros they are to complete the second-round line-up.

There was heartbreak for last year’s third-placed combination, Carlos Mota Ribas and Juan Van’T Arkelhof; the Brazilian rider lost a stirrup before the cream oxer at 14 and had it down, finishing on eight faults, and for 2022 winner Shane Breen. Shane and Fanfan De Beaufour had jumped a copybook clear – but as they approached the final fence, there were shouts rather than whistles – to no avail as they finished two seconds over the time allowed.

So a jump-off it was, and Sammie Jo was in first. The huge-jumping Irish-bred grey was showing all his power and scope but drifted slightly to the right, and went slightly too high, over the white rails at fence two, bringing one down with him. They held on after that to finish in fine style – Sammie managing to survive a lost stirrup over the Derby rails to finish on just the four, in 96.07sec.

Meaning business

Next in was Robert and Gentlemen, who meant business from the start; no whistles were going to be needed from the crowd this time. They cleared the white rails and the black gate almost on one long smooth turn, and got a great shot to the privet hedge and Devil’s Dyke.

It was the Derby rails that caught them out but they flew home from there, finishing nearly eight seconds ahead on 88.33sec.

So as far as can be said of such a difficult class, the title was there to be won. William and Flamboyant were also not there to hang around, their turn from the white rails to the gate as good as Robert’s. They flew the wall, conquered the dyke and accelerated, coming to the last line with the trophy in their sights.

But again, as happened for them last year, the top rail of the second part of the double of gates swung, and hit the famous turf, and it was all over. They finished just behind Robert and Gentlemen, on 89.75sec, for a second second in a row.

“It was fed back to me that Robert had done a really good round, and I knew it was going to be a bit risky for me to go slow and try to just jump clear,” William said. “I thought I had to come with a bit of pace to try to keep near Rob’s time so if I did have a fence early, I could give myself another chance. But I wasn’t too far away in the end.

“He jumped the water great and kept going to the rails; he’s quite a blood horse, for a big horse, and I struggled to slow him down. He jumped so big into the double, he got under it, and tried his best but just chipped the back bar. Then I just went on the first one I saw for the last and unfortunately for me, was just a bit slow. But I was delighted with the way he jumped.”

Delighted for Robert

William added that huge credit goes to the Smiths, who keep Flamboyant going; he had not ridden him between last year’s class and Wednesday (18 June).

“I’m delighted with the way he jumped in the first round; he gave me an amazing feeling,” he said. “It’s a pity but I’m absolutely delighted for Rob.”

Sammie Jo, who has now been the leading lady in the class three years running, finishing seventh twice and now third, was delighted with Chaccomo Blue.

“He gave me everything,” she said. “He was a bit more rideable; I’m usually out of control! But he was great. We normally struggle with the dyke, but this year, he was really good.”

Asked if she would be back for another try, she said: “I hope so! He does seem to love the class, and he’s a big old scopey chap; hopefully we’ll give it a go.”

Robert said he took Gentlemen on from Tim Gredley at the back end of last year, as he was short of top horses – and that the Derby was always in his mind.

History – not rivalry

“I always thought he could win this class,” he said. “I had a good feeling about him. He’s been round it a few times so I just had to get on and he did his job, I’m thrilled with him.

“I think there’s a bit of history now; my dad and Michael have won it, and William and now I have – it’s history, not rivalry.

“To win this – I’ve been watching it for years, ever since I was a kid. You just need the right horse, and Gentlemen was the right one.”

Hickstead director Edward Bunn paid tribute to all involved.

“What a fantastic class,” he said. “Sammy was brilliant from the front, Rob put his marker down, and Will was a very close second. It’s what showjumping needs; thrilling competition.

“The crowd enjoyed it, hopefully, the audience on television or the live stream enjoyed it. From the Bunn family, again thank you to Al Shira’aa – and thank you to these guys for putting on such a wonderful spectacle.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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Whitaker takes a brave route, an exciting ‘sassy little’ British prospect and former groom lands five-star grand prix

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 14:00:47 +0000

In this week’s international showjumping news round-up, we celebrate some mighty performances, particularly from cousins William Whitaker and Jack Whitaker, in the opening week of Bolesworth’s new international tour.

But we also look further afield to some notable Nations Cup podium finishes, a five-star win for a former groom ranked 1,813th in the world, and a rider winning a jump-off against herself. Read on for this week’s international showjumping news round-up and results.

Showjumping news: the big guns are out for a Bolesworth thriller

William Whitaker and Chacco’s Lando took full advantage of the slivers of opportunity left for the taking by their rivals to secure a British victory in Bolesworth’s high-class LeMieux CSI2* grand prix during week one of the inaugural Bolesworth International Equestrian Summer Festival presented by Al Shira’aa.

Ireland’s Shane Breen “knew the big guns were coming behind me” – setting the standard by taking the brave man’s route with Cato Boy over Rafael Suarez’s jump-off course. But William was braver – as last to go, he had to be – slicing across the oxer at fence five and delivering an all-round masterclass in jump-off riding to power ahead by 0.6sec.

William Whitaker and Chaccos Lando win the CSI2* LeMieux grand prix. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

“I was in the best position to know what everybody else did before I went in. Shane set a really good target – I knew that I had to give everything to try to beat him and luckily it paid off,” said William, of Old Lodge Stud’s talented 11-year-old Chacco-Blue son, who is looked after by Mia Allison and Sophie Price. “He’s a great horse and I feel now each month I get to know him a little bit better and exactly how he needs to be managed so that he jumps his best.”

Britain’s Christopher Smith was the first to come close to runner-up Shane’s impressive time on owner/breeder Nicola Barry’s nine-year-old mare Messarado Blue, and their performance earned them a place on the podium. Don’t miss the full report in this week’s H&H magazine, in shops Thursday 10 June.

Bolesworth results

Rider wins five-star jump-off against herself

In Canada, the CSI5* Spruce Meadows Continental meeting presented by Rolex hosted some of the world’s top riders and Erynn Ballard (main image) took the spotlight when achieving the rare feat of a one-two in Friday’s The Mustangs 1.55m grand prix qualifier.

The Olympic hopeful took top spot with Libido Van’t Hofken in a time of 42.86sec, finishing a fraction slower on the former Ben Maher ride Gakhir in 84.53sec. Her closest challenge came from Great Britain’s Matt Sampson on Daniel.

“My first five-star win [at Thunderbird Show Park last month] was the greatest day of my career so far. But everybody that rides a pony, whether you’re a little girl, a little boy, or a teenager, you do this to go to the Olympics. So certainly it’s in the forefront of my mind and I’ve got the horses to do it, but I still have a lot of work to do,” said Erynn, who could be part of Canada’s first-ever all-female Olympic team in Paris. “I’m always hashtagging ‘girl power’ and I think that it would be a great thing for the younger generation of the sport. But at the end of the day, no matter what, we’re all teammates.”

Matt Sampson had turned the tables the previous day, beating the Canadian to victory in the CSI5* AON Cup with new ride One Whisper.

Spruce Meadows results

Showjumping news: “She’s a proper horse,” says Jack Whitaker

Next in this week’s international showjumping news round-up, we’re back to Bolesworth, where a “sassy little” mare got everyone talking when winning the CSIYH1* Al Shira’aa seven-year-old final. It’s part of this sport’s magic to see a prospective future talent score that first significant win. When that success comes in the hands of one of Britain’s top rising stars, that magic is brushed with an extra sparkle. This year’s final was a real jewellery shop window, headed by the super mare Chique Rv Z in the hands of Britain’s Jack Whitaker, with Ireland’s Shane Breen and Konrad Obolensky a close second.

“We think she’s a proper one,” said Jack, who bought the Cicero Z daughter as a four-year-old with Jake Saywell. “She’s like a rubber ball – a real compact, sassy little mare. I don’t think she knows that she’s small! With her, I have to stick to my own plan, as I can’t just copy the strides that everyone else is doing. But I know that she’s quick and I know she can turn tight.”

Bolesworth results

Cian OConnor and Fancy De Kergane help Ireland with a double clear in the Nations Cup of Roeser, Luxembourg. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Nations Cup thrillers: “I am proud of the team”

At the CSIO3* Longines EEF Nations Cup in Luxembourg, winners Belgium topped the podium on a zero score after a jump-off with Ireland. Great Britain finished in third.

Ireland was represented by brothers Max Wachman (Kilkenny) and Tom Wachman with Cathalina S, Michael Duffy on Clitschko 17 and Cian O’Connor producing a double clear with Fancy De Kergane before felling one pole more than Belgium representative Jeroen Appelen on Monte Blue PS against the clock.

“I suppose you could say that’s one that got away,” said Horse Sport Ireland high performance showjumping director Michael Blake. “The lads jumped great for the most part but one or two little mistakes have ultimately cost us. It is still an excellent result and, of course, congratulations to the Belgium team. When Tom and Cian, our final two riders, jumped their clears under pressure to apply pressure on the Belgians, they didn’t wilt to take us to the jump-off, where they got the job done.

“I am proud of the team. A Nations Cup runner-up finish is never to be sniffed at and it highlights the consistency we have in our programme.”

Third-placed Great Britain also secured a place in the semi-final in Deauville later this month.

“I’m delighted, it’s the first time Britain has qualified for the EEF semi-final in Deauville,” said Great Britain’s chef d’equipe Di Lampard, who led Mark Edwards (Flying Tinker II), Adrian Whiteway (Chacco Volo), Olli Fletcher (Hello William) and Robert Murphy on Kannem JA Z to the podium. “All four riders contributed with clear rounds and this squad is going to the four-star Nations Cup in Sopot, Poland, next week.

“I like the format for the EEF, where all the teams get to compete in the second round – unless they are eliminated in round one – and get to put the wrongs right. It’s in the right spirit and they gain valuable experience, whereas the standalone three-star teams only take the top eight [through to round two]. I’m looking forward to the Deauville semi-final and hopefully, the final in Warsaw.”

Great Britain and Ireland also finished fifth and sixth respectively in the Longines EEF series qualifier in Drammen, Norway, where another jump-off decided victory for Poland over hosts Norway, with Sweden third after torrential rain hit the venue during round two. It was the first time for eight years that Poland has won a Nations Cup. Each of the British quartet jumped a clear – Simon Crippen (Handsome), Leo Lamb on Gmail, Faye Sutton with Spider and Phillip Miller riding Don Royale, who went on to finish third in Sunday’s grand prix.

Showjumping news: Cannes success for Brash and Howley

We continue this week’s showjumping news round-up with the opening day of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Cannes, where Ireland’s Richard Howley and Petitfour VD Wareslage won a 1.45m speed class, toppling long-time leaders Ben Maher and Ginger-Blue.

“Heading in to beat Ben Maher always adds to the pressure,” Richard said. “Obviously he is a world-class rider, so it’s an honour to take the win over him today.”

Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Hello Valentino topped the GCL first qualifier by more than two seconds while Saturday night’s grand prix was won by Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann on the appropriately named Messi Van’t Ruytershof in the city’s football stadium Stade Des Hesperides.

“I had a short second of a moment where I thought ‘now you just drop the rein and go’… and he made it, I am so thankful for this horse – what a horse,” she said.

LGCT Cannes results

A winning week for Amanda Derbyshire

US-based British showjumper Amanda Derbyshire sealed a spectacular week at the Tryon International with victory in the $120,000 CSI3* 1.50m grand prix on Cornwall BH. She topped a four-way jump-off to decide the honours, having also sealed victory with Otto BH in the two-phase.

Tryon International results.

A first ever grand prix success for former groom, ranked 1,813th in the world

A 29-year-old rider from Czechia made history with victory in Spruce Meadows’ five-star grand prix. Vaclav Stanek, who just two years ago was working as a groom at the venue, rode Quintin to an unexpected victory over Matt Sampson and Daniel.

“I didn’t even expect to get a clear round, let alone win my first five-star event,” said the 1,813th ranked Czech showjumper who is a former Rolex Young Riders Academy pupil. “I have watched Spruce Meadows since I was a little kid hoping one day I could ride here, but I would never even dream about winning here. I finally got my cooler in the best way possible.”

Spruce Meadows grand prix results

Kent Farrington of USA wins in La Baule riding Greya. (Image credit: Manue Macker)

“I’m determined every day”: Kent Farrington triumphs in La Baule

Finally in this week’s showjumping news round-up, we celebrate US rider Kent Farrington’s brilliant win in the Rolex grand prix Ville de La Baule riding Greya after an exhilarating 11-way jump-off. The duo delivered the quickest of four double clears, beating fellow American Karl Cook (Caracole De La Roque), and Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet (Bond Jamesbond De Hay) took third.

“I’m determined every day,” said Kent. “Our sport has its ups and downs, because horses are animals with their own rhythm and needs. That’s what makes our sport so beautiful. You go from hero to zero very quickly, and that’s the game. I try to stay focused and not think about what might have happened or what might happen. I hadn’t really looked at Karl’s course, and this allowed me to follow my plan and secure the victory.”

Germany won the show’s CSIO5* Nations Cup and while Great Britain wasn’t involved in the team competition, individual representative at the show Lily Attwood and Karibou Horta won Saturday’s accumulator.

CSIO5* La Baule results

The 2023 Hickstead Derby entries: meet this year’s runners and riders

Jennifer Donald — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 06:59:19 +0000

At 2.45pm on Sunday, 25 June, the world famous Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby kicks off in front of a global audience, so who are the names to look out for among this year’s Hickstead Derby entries?

From reigning champion of Hickstead, Shane Breen, to four-time winner William Funnell, a bunch of intrepid first-timers and a trio of Olympic eventers, the field of 27 entries representing four nations for the 2023 Hickstead Derby really is an eclectic cross-section of the equestrian world.

Here is your guide to the 2023 Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby entries.

HICKSTEAD DERBY ENTRIES

1. Carlos Mota Ribas and Night Secret Z (BRAZIL)

The unenviable task of pathfinder for the Al Shira’aa Derby this year falls to this Brazilian rider and the 11-year-old Non Stop stallion. However, the role couldn’t be in better hands as Carlos is a much-loved Hickstead regular, finishing equal second with four faults in the class last year. Night Secret has yet to prove himself in the main ring at Hickstead but completed the Hamburg Derby on eight faults. Never underestimate this Brazilian!

2. Henry Turrell and Rocco (GBR)

The local rider has contested the speed Derby several times but in preparation for stepping up to the big one for the first time this year, Henry and his home-bred 12-year-old Rocco (Cardento x Numero Uno) took in some classes in Hamburg last month and jumped round the Derby trial for 20 faults. What a special moment it will be to contest this world famous class for the first time on a horse he’s bred and produced himself.

3. David Simpson and Flashback VL (IRL)

This two-time Queen Elizabeth II Cup-winning rider brings two horses through for this year’s Hickstead Derby, coming out first on this relatively new ride with whom the locally based Irish team rider had 12 faults in the Derby trial at Hickstead on Friday. He has previously won a Derby trial and his best Derby finish was fourth in 2013 with the brilliant Rolo Tomasi. He has ridden round Hamburg, too, so is an expert pilot for the vast expanse of the Hickstead turf.

4. Sebastian Hughes and Colorado Volo (GBR)

One of the best stories in the class, this will be Seb’s first time riding in the Hickstead Derby and he will be on board the distinctive white-faced chestnut gelding “Chief”, who was bought as a “gangly” five-year-old with a view to selling him, but this “one man and his horse” duo have gone on to jump the dizzying heights of puissances at five-star shows, and now the legendary Derby track awaits them.

“Just to have a horse that would be able to do the Derby is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he says.

5. Stephan Dubsky and C The Stars (IRL)

This combination caught the eye when finishing fifth in the Hamburg Derby last month with just four faults. The Germany-based Irishman is a former international eventer and makes his Hickstead debut this year with this exciting nine-year-old.

6. Ryan Lockwood and Over The Top Van Den Haagakkers (GBR)

This 23-year-old rider is another British showjumper making his Hickstead debut this year and extraordinarily had only jumped one class, the area trial at Wellington last week, on Elliott Rowe’s nine-year-old before bringing him to West Sussex. The horse jumped round last year’s speed Derby with Elliott, while Ryan steered him home with eight faults in Friday’s Derby trial.

7. William Funnell and Equine America Billy Diamo (GBR)

This rider needs no introduction to Hickstead Derby followers; he’s one of an elite quintet of riders to have lifted the trophy four times and will be bidding for a record fifth victory with two ride – the first of which is his 18hh 13-year-old home-bred, who finished 11th last year.

“Last year was Equine America Billy Diamo’s first time round and it’s always good to get that first one under your belt,” says William. “Hopefully he’ll have grown from that and this year I’ve really focused on doing the right things to produce him for Sunday.“

Shane Breen and Can Ya Makan celebrating success in 2022 – they are among the Hickstead Derby entries again this year (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

8. Shane Breen and Scarteen (IRL)

Hickstead-based Irishman Shane Breen begins the defence of his title with a home-bred 10-year-old, who he sold a half-share of as a five-year-old and only bought back last month. Since taking the reins, Shane and the super grey have been placed in Hamburg and won the La Baule Derby, picking up just four faults in the Derby trial on Friday. This rising star could be a really strong prospect among this year’s Hickstead Derby entries.

“He’s very scopey and careful, so much versatility and such jump; you could put him into whatever you want,” says Shane.

9. Andre Reichmann and Ego De Toxandria Z (BRA)

Hickstead has welcomed this Brazilian rider and nine-year-old gelding for the first time this year and they adapted well to the international ring’s unique obstacles and undulations, finishing with eight faults in the Derby trial. The last Brazilian rider to win the Hickstead Derby was Nelson Pessoa in 1996.

10. Jonathan Smyth and Premier Spirit (IRL)

Fresh from a grand prix runner-up position at Bolesworth last week, this 25-year-old Irish rider warmed up for Hickstead with a puissance third on this 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding who has plenty of scope. They completed the Derby trial on 36 faults.

11. Tim Gredley and Gentlemen VH Veldhof (GBR)

British showjumping team regular Tim Gredley made a return to the Hickstead Derby in 2022 for the first time in 17 years and returns for the second year in succession with the same horse, the 17-year-old Gentlemen, who was a previous Derby ride for Michael Whitaker. The last British winner of the Hickstead Derby was in 2018, can Tim make amends?

12. Paul Sims and Dream Roller (GBR)

This former eventer has ridden round Badminton but this will be his first attempt at the Devil’s Dyke, bank and open water in Hickstead’s international arena. His 12-year-old gelding stepped up to five-star level in the UAE with Paul’s friend Joe Whitaker earlier this year but has since returned to Paul and the pair posted an impressive eight-fault round in Friday’s Derby trial

13. Carlos Mota Ribas and Juan Van’t Arkelhof (BRA)

The Brazilian is back with his second ride, a 14-year-old gelding who is making his Derby debut but who looked right at home in the Derby trial, picking up just four faults.

14. Dermott Lennon and Gelvins Touch (IRL)

Another notable Irish rider bidding to lift the Boomerang trophy this year is 2022 world champion Dermott, who has had several runner-up places in the Derby without lifting the silverware. The 17-year-old Gelvins Touch (Touchdown x Diamond Lad) hasn’t jumped internationally since last year’s Hickstead Derby where the pair just had four faults at the rails at the bottom of the bank to finish equal second. It would be a lovely story if this veteran could take top honours this year.

15. Trevor Breen and Gonzalo (IRL)

Trevor is the younger brother of Shane Breen and, two days after representing Ireland in the Nations Cup in Rotterdam, Trevor has qualified this 12-year-old former eventer, with whom he finished fourth in the King George V Gold Cup at the Royal International last year, for Sunday’s Al Shira’aa Derby.

“He’s such a lovely horse, he’s beautiful to ride and he has a huge heart and fights for you, so he makes my life a bit easier,” says Trevor.

If anyone can give Shane a good run for his money, it’s most certainly brother Trevor, who has won the Hickstead Derby twice, in 2014 and 2015.

16. William Whitaker and Flamboyant III (GBR)

Another former winner, with Glenavadra Brilliant in 2016, and one of two Whitakers in the field. Flamboyant III, a 13-year-old Cardento gelding, was a catch ride for William in last year’s Hickstead Derby when owner Elliott Smith broke his leg and the pair have been jumping at the top level since. They jumped an eye-catching four-fault round in Friday’s Derby trial and look bang on target for their second Derby tilt.

17. Daniel McAlinden and Keatingstown Z Wellie Two (IRL)

24-year-old Hickstead Derby debutant Daniel only took the reins on 12-year-old Wellie last month so there are plenty of unknowns. Ger O’Neill rode the gelding in the 2019 Derby but they failed to complete. However, a third place finish in Friday’s Derby trial for Daniel and the Irish-bred does show promise ahead of Sunday.

18. Sammie Jo Coffin and Chaccomo Blue (GBR)

The Cornwall showjumper has enjoyed plenty of success in the Hickstead international arena but brings this 13-year-old gelding for the first time, fresh from a string of good placings on the county circuit. This big-jumping gelding relished the challenge of the Derby trial, just picking up eight faults.

19. Kai Ruder and Cross Keys (GER)

This top German rider may be better known for his eventing successes but in recent years he’s been seen in the showjumping ring and has jumped the Hamburg Derby a handful of times. He makes the journey to Hickstead for the first time this year, bringing his long-time partner, the 18-year-old Cross Keys, a German-bred son of Casall.

20. Gemma Stevens and Envoy Merelsnest Z GBR)

A British eventer this time, Olympian and world championship gold medallist Gemma Stevens (nee Tattersall) no less, who has been combining eventing and showjumping in recent years and was offered the ride on the Brendon Stud’s stallion Envoy Merelsnest Z, or “Dime Bar” as he is known at home, for her debut in this year’s Hickstead Derby.

“I’m not expecting to be troubling the leaders at this stage, but just the fact I’m giving it a go and on a horse I’ve not ridden that much… Why not?” says Gemma.

21. Robert Whitaker and Evert (GBR) **WITHDRAWN**

Could Robert be the 10th Whitaker to win the Hickstead Derby? He and his cousin William are representing the famous showjumping dynasty this year and Robert brings Caroline Blatchford’s 14-year-old Evert, a recent winner in Italy and a horse with an exceptional record in the international ring at Hickstead, as well as in Hamburg with his previous rider Karel Cox. Their fantastic clear round in Friday’s Derby trial put them right up among the favourites for this year’s class.

22. Jordan Coyle and Eristov (IRL)

US-based Irishman Jordan brought the 14-year-old Eristov over for last year’s Derby, where they finished with 12 faults – his first visit to Hickstead since his debut in 2013. Irish riders have won five of the past nine runnings of the Hickstead Derby.

23. Shane Breen and Can Ya Makan (IRL)

The reigning Hickstead Derby champions, who won last year with the sole clear round, are bidding to become the first combination to win back-to-back since William Funnell and Cortaflex Mondriaan in 2008 and 2009. Can Ya Makan is now 17 and Shane has produced him carefully for this day and will go in as red hot favourites.

24. William Funnell and Dublon (GBR)

Four-time winner William Funnell’s second ride Dublon is another lofty chestnut, who he only started riding last month after Barbara Hester’s gelding left Joe Stockdale’s stable. It would be remarkable if this pair won at their first show together.

“With my history in the class it would be lovely to get the fifth one,” says William.

25. David Simpson and Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve (IRL)

The Irishman returns with his second ride, the youngest horse in the class, eight-year-old Pjotr. This low mileage Belgium-bred stallion has been stepping up impressively in recent months and jumped a classy eight-fault round in the Derby trial.

26. Carlos Mota Ribas and Trix (BRA)

This nine-year-old gelding was bred by John Whitaker, ridden by Robert Whitaker and then sold to the Brazilian showjumper two years ago – they were second in last year’s speed Derby then the duo tied for first with former rider Robert (on Evert) as the only two clears in Friday’s Derby trial. Definitely one for the short list.

27. Sandra Auffarth and Nupafeed’s La Vista (GER)The legendary German Olympic eventer has the honour of being the last into the ring for her debut at Hickstead. She and the 14-year-old mare have finished top-three in the Hamburg Derby and appeared to adapt quickly to the Hickstead fences in Friday’s Derby trial. Can Sandra add the Boomerang trophy to her glittering array of silverware, which includes Olympic and world championship eventing gold medlas? It would certainly be an incredible story if she did – and that’s what the Hickstead Derby is all about.

The Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby is at 2.45pm on Sunday 25 June. Horse & Hound will be bringing you all the stories online as they happen and in next week’s magazine, in the shops Thursday 29 June.

The horse world must be brave and proactive as many do not support horse sport

Eleanor Jones — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 16:48:11 +0000

Nearly two thirds of the public do not support the involvement of horses in sport as things stand – and we must “be brave” and proactive to ensure equestrianism has a future.

These were key messages from the latest independent survey commissioned by World Horse Welfare to assess public perception of horse sport.

The YouGov research asked the same questions as last year’s survey commissioned by the charity on the same topic, but of more people. There were more than 4,000 responses, representative of the UK population as a whole.

The results showed that, as in 2022, some 60% of the general public are not happy with the status quo. Two in five, 40%, said they would support continued involvement of horses in sport only if their welfare was improved and 20% do not support continued involvement of horses in sport in any circumstances. Just over half, 57% feel it is acceptable for horses to be ridden, 15% disagreed.

The results were revealed at an event run by the charity on 14 June.

“World Horse Welfare believes these conversations are vital, as they will play a part in determining the future of equestrian sport,” said the charity’s CEO Roly Owers. “We support ethical and responsible involvement of horses in sport, and we know good welfare and horse sport are not mutually exclusive. But we recognise that all in equestrianism need to demonstrate this more, with actions as well as words, to maintain public support.”

Mr Owers said one thing that has changed since last year’s survey is how media coverage has affected people’s confidence in horse welfare in sport.

The results showed that those who interacted regularly with horses said recent media coverage made them feel more confident welfare is protected in horse sport; 37%, compared with 14% of those who do not interact with horses. Of those who do not interact with horses regularly, 25% were slightly or much less confident.

Mr Owers said the survey was conducted in May, so coverage of Grand National protesters may have influenced this, but “this shows media coverage can change views”.

He added that, unsurprisingly, equestrians who responded to the survey were more likely to support involvement of horses in sport, and “we should be wary of the bubble, of how we in the horse world view horse welfare” – more equestrians were happy with the status quo than others, but it is the others who need to be convinced.

Showjumper William Whitaker gave a presentation on how he has changed the status quo to benefit horse welfare. He spoke of a nine-year-old who had had some anxiety issues in the stable, and for whom he sought the advice of an equine behaviourist. Under her guidance, which was backed by research, he tried different stabling options, settling on a pen with a shared hay feeder, so the horse could have physical contact with his neighbour.

“He was much better, and that got the cogs turning about the other horses,” William said, adding that he has built large pens to allow turnout even when the fields are waterlogged.

“Do you ever stop learning with horses? Absolutely not. We want to be improving all the time, in everything we do, and the health and welfare of the horses is the top priority.”

A panel discussion followed, chaired by former H&H editor Lucy Higginson, with Olympic eventer Sam Griffths, British Horseracing Authority CEO Julie Harrington, racing presenter Rishi Persad, European Equestrian Federation president Theo Ploegmakers and equine vet Merry Smith.

Ms Higginson pointed out the extent of licensing and regulation in racing, compared to other horse sports, and asked if the industry’s work on social licence is paying off.

Ms Harrington said: “Licensing and regulation should be seen as a good thing in terms of confidence in what’s happening at home in our sport, not just on the field of play.”

She added that she believes the work carried out on ensuring a good life for thoroughbreds from birth to death, and communication of this, is paying off, but that racing “isn’t resting on our laurels”.

“Can others learn from racing?” she asked. “Absolutely. But we’re keen to learn from other areas of equestrianism, too. We know what happens in an Olympic discipline can alter perception of racing, and vice versa.”

Ms Smith said she believes it would be “fantastic” for every professional yard to need a licence, with set standards and regulation, adding that although the paperwork could be seen as onerous, the positives could be proving to the public how well horses are cared for.

“It could allow staff to feel greater pride, ownership and commitment,” she said. “And maybe help with recruitment, and be more appealing to sponsors. I think there would be benefits for the horse, at all levels. Top horses generally look wonderful, but we have to consider every animal, and make sure we’re championing those that may be less able and worth less, too.”

Mr Ploegmakers, who said the survey results reflect feelings in other countries, said he would support the idea of licensing, adding that equestrianism is one of the few industries largely free of such schemes.

“We can do anything,” he said. “But we have extra responsibility as we’re working with animals who aren’t protected. I would really support this.”

Sam said he was “a little hesitant” about the idea, owing to pressure it could put especially on those struggling to climb the ladder, but that he “wouldn’t be upset” if the FEI, for example, were to have the power to conduct spot checks of riders’ yards.

“I’m sure riders would be comfortable,” he said. “I think there’s a balance between regulation and almost forcing smaller people out of the sport.”

The idea of asking horses to participate in a risk sport was discussed. Improvements to obstacle safety in eventing and racing, and the extensive training for both horses and riders to ensure they are prepared were cited.

Sam added: “I genuinely feel the horses love it. I’ve finished courses and known they have absolutely loved going round.” The key is how to convey this to the public, especially when so few, only 2.3% of the population according to this survey, interact with horses.

“We really need to make the magic of horses something that’s for everyone,” she said.

Other measures discussed include defining what a good life for horses is, to help achieve this. Methods such as the ridden horse pain ethogram, a list of equine behaviours that can indicate pain or discomfort, could be used to show that horses are happy and comfortable in work.

‘They won’t knock me off my perch yet!’ John leads gathering of nine Whitakers at a successful HOYS

Eleanor Jones — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 14:12:21 +0000

It’s not clear what the collective noun would be for a group of Whitakers – but whatever it is, there was one at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) last week.

Nine members of the family were competing, in everything from national classes to the grand prix, and most of them gathered for a picture in the Andrews Bowen International Arena on 8 October.

The gathering in itself was no mean feat – “The biggest job was rounding us up, I thought we were going to miss our class!” William Whitaker said. “There’s plenty of us here; we thought we’d do it by numbers!”

But, William added: “This shows how much HOYS means to use as a family. We all want to follow in the footsteps of what John and Michael have done in the sport, so to be here competing, with John and the rest of the family, makes me very proud. And I’m sure it makes my dad and uncles proud too.”

John has been competing at HOYS for over half a century, which William said is “fantastic”.

“The word ‘legend’ doesn’t do him justice,” he said. “We all really look up to him, and learn from him every day. It would be one thing if he had millions behind him and was going out to buy the best horses, but he’s not. He’s still producing young horses to the top level – and beating us. I’m used to that, he’s been doing it all my life! But I’m sure he’s as delighted when one of us wins as when he does.”

It was successful Whitaker week; as well as William’s victory in the Grandstand Challenge Cup ranking class on Jalellah OL, and John’s close second in the grand prix on Equine America Unick Du Francport, Robert won the six-bar on Vermento.

John on Sharid was joint second with Shane Breen on Vistogrand, and Robert said afterwards: “I have told him to retire a few times but he seems to just come back and win more!

“He never has a doubt, I think that’s his best asset. He’s so positive, he thinks he can win any class on any horse – and a lot of the time, he does. He still helps me every day – we help each other – and I think he’s still going to win a lot more.”

John himself joked that his family had “taken over a bit” at HOYS this year.

“But they’re all good,” he said. “They’re all keen, good workers, nice guys and they’re good. It’s great to watch.

“I think it’s in the blood, for sure, it has to be. They probably tried other things but thought showjumping is probably going to be it, which is great to see.

“I find it amazing they’re all interested. I’ve lost count but I think there’s only two out of the family who don’t ride, Jack’s younger sisters, but the rest do, and they’re all good, and I’m extremely proud.”

John added that his long and hugely successful career may “give them something to aim for”.

“But I’m not going to give it to them easily, they won’t knock me off my perch!” he said. “I’m still going to be here; I don’t know for how many years, but a few more yet.”

What do you think should be the collective noun for a group of Whitakers? Send your thoughts to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, and nearest town and county

Nations Cup Final, JL Dublin’s first international run with new rider and more events to watch this week

Pippa Roome — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 07:32:46 +0000

The Nations Cup Final takes place this week in Spain and a star horse returns to international competition – check out what’s happening this week in equestrianism…

1. Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final, Barcelona, Spain

Dates: 29 September-2 October

More info: csiobarcelona.com

How to watch: ClipMyHorse.TV

Get the H&H lowdown: we’ll bring you the latest news from the three rounds of jumping online as well as a full report in the following week’s issue of the magazine, in the shops Thursday 6 October

Why we’re excited about it: the 2022 series reaches its thrilling climax this weekend with some of the best teams in the world lining up for team honours in the Nations Cup Final. Great Britain is sending Lily Attwood (Cor-Leon VD Vlierbeek Z), William Whitaker on Galtur, Jodie Hall McAteer with Salt’n Peppa, Joe Stockdale riding Equine America Cacharel and Ellen Whitaker (Equine America Spacecake) to fly the flag.

2. Osberton Horse Trials, Nottinghamshire

Dates: 28 September-2 October

More info: schedule on British Eventing website, results on Eventing Scores, or event’s own website

How to watch: live streaming on Horse & Country

Get the H&H lowdown: report in 6 October issue of the magazine

Why we’re excited about it: Osberton has bumper entries for this end-of-year showcase, with over 100 in each of the long format classes and more than 60 in each young horse class. Five-, six- and seven-year-olds go head to head in international classes, with the results often pointing to the stars of tomorrow. Recent Burghley Horse Trials winner Piggy March, Olympic gold medallists Tom McEwen and Oliver Townend, European team gold medallist Kitty King and Australian Tokyo silver medallist Kevin McNab are among the many big names competing.

3. Veteran Horse Society championships, Arena UK, Lincolnshire

Dates: 30 September-2 October

More info: veteran-horse-society.co.uk

Get the H&H lowdown: coverage in 13 October issue of the magazine

Why we’re excited about it: the largest veteran equine event in the UK which hosts the prestigious end of season supreme finals and the acclaimed veteran of the year. Held at Arena UK, the show is hosted over three days and has over 120 classes, across showing, dressage, jumping and fun classes.

4. Childeric Saddles Little Downham (3) and 4) Horse Trials, Cambridgeshire

Dates: 27 September and 1-3 October

More info: schedules on British Eventing website and results on Eventing Scores

Get the H&H lowdown: report in the magazine dated 13 October

Why we’re excited about it: this is actually officially two fixtures, with advanced and CCI4*-S classes on Tuesday 27 September and then everything from GO BE80 up to open intermediates over the following weekend. Recent world bronze medallists Tim and Jonelle Price have six horses between them in the advanced, while the CCI4*-S field includes the likes of Bramham Horse Trials CCI4*-S winner Izilot DHI (Ros Canter) and Monkeying Around, who was long-listed for the eventing World Championships with Izzy Taylor. JL Dublin – who was the European champion under Nicola Wilson and who now has a new rider in Tom McEwen following Nicola’s serious fall at Badminton Horse Trials – will have his first international run with Tom in this class.

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William Whitaker celebrates 33rd birthday with Royal International victory on ‘hot-headed’ mare

Jennifer Donald — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:11:13 +0000

The international showjumping classes at the Royal International kicked off on Thursday (28 July) with a tremendous British win for William Whitaker, who was celebrating his 33rd birthday.

A huge field of 84 came forward for Thursday morning’s Royal International Vase 1.45m speed class and William managed to edge ahead of strong leader Harry Charles (Controe) riding Old Lodge’s 14-year-old mare Jalellah OL.

Finishing third was US rider Brian Moggre, 20, who, like Harry, will make his world championship debut in Denmark next week. He powered home in the vast International Arena at Hickstead riding I’m Special V.

“It was a great start to a good day,” said William of this birthday victory. “I was delighted to get the win today – it’s always good to get a show off to a good start. I just need to try and continue now!”

Talking about his tactics in such a huge field at the Royal International, William said: “I had a late-ish draw which helped in such a big class, I saw some of the quick ones go – I didn’t see Harry’s round but I realised his time was quite a bit quicker than the others, so I knew I’d have to take a few risks if I wanted to be there or thereabouts and they paid off today, which was great.”

William took the reins on Old Lodge’s daughter of Chacco-Blue, out of a Baloubet Du Rouet mare, last year.

“She’s been a good horse for a few riders now – Louise Saywell had some good successes with her before me,” said William. “She’s a really useful horse to have in the string, she’s very adaptable to different classes, like today she won a speed class or I’ve been jumping her in grands prix for the past few weeks.

“She’s very hot-headed – you need to treat her with silk gloves,” he explained. “She’s sharp but that helps because when she gets in the ring she’s a fighter, which is what you need.

“We turn her out a lot at home and just try to keep things as chilled as possible – she’s 14 now so she knows her job, I’m not going to teach her anything new! She gets hacked out a lot and the team at home do a great job just tending to her needs.”

Whitaker winning continues

The Whitaker whitewash continued on day one of the international showjumping as Robert took the Royal International Trophy on Caroline Blatchford’s Evert.

The combination shaved a quarter of a second off the time set by long-term leaders Marc Dilasser and Chamann Has in the two-phase class, with an effortless-looking clear.

Robert, who said it was a good day for the family, and “it would be nice to keep winning!”, sang the praises of the 13-year-old Amadeus gelding.

“He’s always been a good horse; [Belgian rider] Karel Cox won a lot of grands prix with him, and he’s been really good for me so far. He’s a bit hot and a bit strong but if he’s clear, he’s very quick, which he showed today.”

Robert said the combination did not click straight away, adding: “But I got to know him, and he got to know me; sometimes it takes time.

“I think the course suited him today; it was quite a flowing jump-off and he’s naturally so quick — at the last turn, I was trying to slow down! You only have to think quick and he goes.”

Robert may now aim Evert for Sunday’s Longines King George V Gold Cup.

William Whitaker takes Hickstead Derby catch ride as rider broke thigh in three places — after trial finish line

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 17:53:49 +0000

Previous Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby winner William Whitaker completed today’s class on a catch ride, whose normal rider broke his thigh in three places after he finished the Derby trial.

Elliott Smith and Flamboyant III had qualified for the feature class on Friday, finishing in 13th place, but Elliot fell after the finish. He was undergone surgery to put a rod through his femur, which was broken in three places, so having ridden the 17.3/18hh 12-year-old gelding for the first time yesterday, William took him for his first Derby trip, finishing with 12 faults.

Elliott’s mother Vicky Smith, the horse’s owner, said her son was “actually in amazing spirits”.

“He’s watching from hospital,” she said. “The surgeon asked if he had any questions and he said ‘Would it be all right if I went and watched my horse jump the Derby today?’ He said he was rather hoping someone would take him. The surgeon said ‘No, Elliott’. He can’t wait to get back to his riding.”

Vicky said the family has had the horse, her “pride and joy”, since he was three, and Elliott has “done everything with him”.

“We’re a very small yard in Devon and we just do what we can,” she said. “We’ve always known this horse could jump a house but he’s been quite strong; we’ve had trouble controlling him round a normal course!

“Elliott took him in his first puissance at Bolesworth and he won it, and jumped 2.20m, it’s just the control we need.

“But to go in there and do that; the first time he’s ever done it, it’s fantastic. I’m in tears!”

William said the horse got a bit stronger towards the end of the Hickstead Derby course.

“He’s a really blood horse for such a big horse, and it’s difficult because you have to adapt as best you can,” he said. “He did a really good job at the bank, then I couldn’t get him quite back enough for the dyke, and it was the same at the Derby rails; I opened him up for the water and couldn’t quite get him back in time.

“To go straight into a big class like that isn’t easy but he really jumped.”

#Throwback: Liverpool puissance win is ‘best buzz ever’

Catherine Austen — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 07:02:08 +0000

In the week that historically hosts the Liverpool International Horse Show, we take a trip down memory lane to the year when four riders shared puissance honours and set a new show record height

Four riders shared the honours at 2.21m — a record height for the show — in the Hope Valley Saddlery Puissance at the TheraPlate UK Liverpool International Horse Show.

They included the joint Olympia winners — William Whitaker with RMF Charly and Mikey Pender with his Hickstead Derby hero Hearton Du Bois Halleux — and Guy Williams with his puissance specialist Mr Blue Sky UK, who took the Olympia puissance in 2018 and the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) class this year.

But they were joined by a new face, Harry Whall. The 28-year-old, competing in his first puissance competition with new ride Quality Old Joker, came close to tipping off on landing in the first round, but grew in confidence as the five rounds went on.

“That was the best buzz ever!” exclaimed the 28-year-old from Market Rasen. “It is a dream come true. I didn’t expect him to jump so high in the first round, but once I got on the right spot it was great.”

Harry bought 11-year-old Quality Old Joker, who won this class at Liverpool in 2017 and the puissance at Olympia in 2016 with former rider Holly Smith, a couple of months ago.

Holly won last night’s big class, the Horseware Ireland-sponsored 1.50m competition, on former event horse Denver, owned by Ian Dowie. The 11-year-old competed up to CCI4* level with Emilie Chandler and Constance Copestake before turning to showjumping with Holly this summer.

Tabitha Kyle’s outstanding year continued with victories in both the Wicks Group 128cm championship and the P Gowans Civil Engineering 138cm final.

‘You’ve got to learn and come back stronger’: William Whitaker on the team final at European Showjumping Championships

Becky Murray — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 14:58:46 +0000

Great Britain’s William Whitaker has completed the second round of the team competition at the European Showjumping Championships on eight faults.

William and the 11-year-old Galtur produced a cool and collected round, but lost a little bit of rhythm in the rollback to fence 10, taking the planks down, and then knocked the final fence of Frank Rothenberger’s course.

“He jumped really well again, but it just goes to show what the fine lines are. I didn’t quite get my turn as I wanted it and he was a bit jerky to the planks. He drifted a little bit, and with the wavy planks it catches you out,” said William.

“Down the last line I was umming and ahhing when I walked the course what distance to take, but I thought I’d be brave and positive. I was thrilled with the way he jumped the oxer and vertical, but then he just got a bit away from me at the last. He got there a bit far off and everything was a bit forward, and we just had the front bar off behind.”

Reflecting on the course, William said questions were asked from the beginning.

“There was a forward distance to the wall [fence three] and then short distance to the oxer [fence four], then you had the turn back to the water [fence five],” he said.

“You don’t get much higher competition than this really, it’s a championship and that’s what you expect. You’ve just got to learn from your mistakes and come back stronger.”

William, the most senior member of the British team at the European Showjumping Championships, took on the reins of the Philip and Jane Tuckwell’s home-bred gelding in 2020. The pair had four faults on the opening day (1 September) and picked up a further four faults yesterday (2 September) – but helped secure the team’s place in today’s final. The top 10 of 15 nations qualified, and while a team medal proved out of reach, the relatively inexperienced squad have each gained invaluable experience and produced some good rounds.

William said on the whole he was really pleased with Galtur.

“He’s quite a sensitive horse, especially when you get into these atmospheres. There’s 100 people stood around the entrance and you’ve kind of got to fight your way to get in the ring. He’s never experienced stuff like that before, so he’s thinking ‘What’s going on here?’,” said William.

“When I get back I’ll rewatch my rounds and try and figure out where the faults were. The first day in the same part of the ring as today I turned back to the planks and didn’t quite get the turn that I wanted then either, so that’s certainly one thing I’ll be practising.”

William’s score, along with the scores of Joe Stockdale, and Emily Moffitt, leave the Brits finishing on 53.18. Georgia Tame and Ascot Z7 were today’s drop-score after retiring following a refusal at the third fence.

“We’ve got some really top riders in our country and we need to give them some support. We need to get this next crop of younger riders and new combinations through so I think these championships have been a fantastic opportunity for that,” said William.

“It’s a positive feeling in camp. Although we maybe haven’t had the results in the rounds that we wanted, and as many clears as we would have liked, you’ve just got to take the positives on to the next competition. Di Lampard [Great Britain’s showjumping performance manager] is fantastic. She supports us all the way, not just here but the run up and after, so I’d like to thank her very much for that.”

Will finished 33rd individually on 17.06. Emily Moffitt produced her first clear round inside the time of the competition to earn ticket to Sunday’s (5 September) European Showjumping Championships individual final in 22nd place on 12.12. The top 25 riders will compete, and Emily is the only Brit to make it through to the individual medal-deciding round.

What time the Brits are in action in today’s European Championships medal decider

Eleanor Jones — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 09:28:31 +0000

The team competition at the European Showjumping Championships in Riesenbeck, Germany, is to conclude today with one medal-deciding round of jumping.

The young British team is in eighth place going into this afternoon’s competition, with Switzerland, Germany and Sweden in the medal spots, and Ireland in fifth place. The class starts at 1pm local tine (12noon UK time), with those riders only competing as individuals jumping first, then a 20-minute break before the first team combination enters the arena.

European Showjumping Championships approx times: British riders in first competition

Georgia Tame and Z7 Ascot: approx 1.42pm local time; 12.42pm UK time
Emily Moffitt and Winning Good: approx 2.02pm local time; 1.02m UK time
Joe Stockdale and Equine America Cacharel: approx 2.42pm local time; 1.42pm UK time
William Whitaker and Galtur: approx 3.02pm local time; 2.02pm UK time

The first Irish rider will be Daniel Coyle on Legacy, at about 1.48pm (12.48pm), with Michael Duffy and Zilton SL Z in at about 2.08pm (1.08pm). Eoin McMahon and Chacon 2 are due to jump at about 2.48pm (1.48pm) and Mark McAuley on Jasco VD Bisschop at about 3.08pm (2.08pm).

The combinations currently in the individual medal positions are all due to jump about two hours in; third-placed Swede Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, on Ermindo W, at about 2.52pm (1.52pm), Germany’s Christian Kukuk on Mumbai, who are in the silver-medal position, at about 2.54pm (1.54pm) and reigning European champion Martin Fuchs, who is in the lead in the individual competition with Leone Jei, will jump at about 2.56pm (1.56pm).

As well as deciding the team European Showjumping Championships medals, today’s scores also count towards the individual standings. The top 25 combinations at the close of play qualify for Sunday’s medal decider. Britain’s William Whitaker and Galtur are currently in 26th place.

Britain through to team medal decider in nail-biting European Championships

Eleanor Jones — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 15:56:29 +0000

The British team has made it through to tomorrow’s team final at the European Showjumping Championships, after a nail-biting thriller of a competition.

All four combinations — Georgia Tame and Z7 Ascot, Emily Moffitt and Winning Good, Joe Stockdale and Equine America Cacharel and William Whitaker on Galtur — had jumped far better rounds than the score sheets might indicate. And after a tense afternoon in which it was all change in the team order, the Swiss came out on top, with Germany still in silver-medal position and Sweden in third place.

Britain had been in 12th place going into this second competition of the championships but adding today’s 16-fault total to yesterday’s 17.18 gave them a total of 33.18, which was good enough for eighth place overnight.

The top 10 teams go forward to tomorrow’s (3 September) medal decider, which gets under way at 12noon UK time.

The top 25 combinations after tomorrow go through to contest the individual medals on Sunday; William is currently the highest placed British rider in 26th place.

Great Britain’s showjumping performance manager Di Lampard told H&H she was very proud of every member of the young British team.

“My goal was to get them through to Friday, and that’s been achieved,” she said. “I’m delighted that they’ll get another day of this wonderful experience.”

Di said giving these up-and-coming combinations championship experience is the way to build strength in depth for British showjumping in future.

“To think we’ve got three [championship] debutants here, it’s amazing,” she said. “Georgia hasn’t jumped a five-star before on that horse, and he’s a big stallion for her but she rode fantastic, and was unlucky. Joe’s 21, the youngest rider in the competition, and he’s only jumped two five-stars. Emily’s at her first championship, and William’s horse has only jumped two five-stars, and only one with him.

“I hope this is a trampoline for their careers, and I could not be prouder of them all.”

It was Switzerland’s day today though; Elian Baumann on Campari Z, Martin Fuchs on Leone Jei and Steve Guerdat on Albfuehren’s Maddox all jumped clear to give them a team total of 5.47.

Steve came to the championships in a year that has not favoured him so far; he lost his top mare Bianca in June, and had had “a bit of a downer” since.

“I thought today, if everything doesn’t feel as confident and smooth as normally, I have to at least fight and that’s one thing I have control over,” he said, “The spirit. To show the good spirit out there.

“And because I’m not having the best run, I have to fight maybe more than normally. But this is sport and this is what I’m trying to do and my hope is that with luck on my side and that together we can fight through to the best possible results.”

He added that although it is positive to be in the lead, there is still “a long way to go”.

“Everything is still out there,” he said. “The teams are quite close, and we hope that the horses are jumping well to give it another try tomorrow.”

Germany are less than a fence behind, with 8.77 penalties. Andre Thieme on DSP Chakaria, and Christian Kukuk on his Tokyo ride Mumbai, both jumped clear, while yesterday’s winners David Will and C Vier caught the second part of the final double — the downfall of so many today — to finish on four faults.

Sweden are again less than a fence behind the Germans; Peder Fredricson on Catch Me Not S and Douglas Lindelow on Casquo Blue clocked up four faults apiece, while Rolf-Goran Bengtsson on Ermindo W jumped clear for a team total of 11.59 penalties.

Belgium are in fourth place on 17.34 and Ireland pulled up from seventh to fifth place with a total of 20.73.

In the individual European Showjumping Championships standings, reigning champion Martin Fuchs is in the lead on 1.31 penalties, with Christian Kukuk in second on 1.93 and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson in third on 1.96.

William Whitaker keeps Team GB in the mix at the European Showjumping Championships

Jennifer Donald — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 13:57:49 +0000

Great Britain’s fourth and final rider William Whitaker kept the team’s hopes alive of earning a place in Friday’s medal decider with a four-fault round on day two of the European Showjumping Championships.

William and Philip Tuckwell’s home-bred Galtur just hit the vertical coming out of the treble combination in the first half of the course, coming home just inside the time allowed.

His score put Great Britain on a final tally of 33.18 and they then faced an anxious wait to see if that would be good enough to put them in the top 10 in the team standings; only the leading 10 nations go through to Friday’s medal decider.

“I was absolutely thrilled with the way my lad jumped,” said William, 32, the senior member of the Great Britain team at the European Showjumping Championships and now a veteran of three championships himself.

“He was so unlucky. To be fair, he did his best to jump it – I think he made such an effort over the middle part that then the next one was upon him and although he did everything to get out of the way, he just clipped it with his back legs.

“But it’s probably one of the biggest courses he’s jumped and in this sort of environment, the whole atmosphere adds to that [1.60m height]. I thought he jumped as good at the end as he did at the beginning, which I like. So I’m obviously sick about the fault, but really pleased with the way he jumped.”

William only took the reins on Galtur in 2020, taking over from Helen Tredwell.

“I was chatting with Jane [Tuckwell], his owner, this morning and saying we’ve come such a long way in such a short period of time as a combination,” added William. “I think sometimes it’s easy to overlook the fact that we’re still learning about each other as a partnership. I’m obviously still trying to find out the tiny little details just to get that sort of final product that we’re looking for. But it feels like he’s got all the ingredients there. And I’ve been delighted with him.”

Reflecting on building strength and depth in Great Britain’s championship squads, William added: “What Ben Maher, Scott Brash, John and Michael Whitaker and Nick Skelton have done in the past 10 or 20 years has been fantastic so we need to look at them and carry that on.”

The European Showjumping Championship continues on Friday with the team medal decider before the individual competition is concluded on Sunday (5 September).

What time the Brits are in action at the Europeans today, plus how to watch

Eleanor Jones — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 10:21:27 +0000

The team competition at the European Showjumping Championships continues this afternoon (2 September), with all four British riders in action.

The Nations Cup competition, in which both team and individual riders jump, starts at 1pm German time (12pm BST) with the eight individual riders coming into the ring first. All combinations carry forward penalty points calculated from their finishing positions in yesterday’s speed class.

European Showjumping Championships approx times: British riders

Georgia Tame and Z7 Ascot: approx 1.18pm local time; 12.18pm UK time
Emily Moffitt and Winning Good: approx 1.26pm local time; 12.26am UK time
Joe Stockdale and Equine America Cacharel: approx 1.36pm local time; 12.36pm UK time
William Whitaker and Galtur: approx 13.46pm local time; 12.46pm UK time

Czech rider Vladimir Tretera, on Gangster VH Noddevelt, will be the last rider of the teams in 11th-15th place, then the first rider of the teams in the top 10, Zascha Nygaard Andreasen on Quinn 33, will be in the ring at about 13.50pm (12.50pm).

The first Irish rider will be Daniel Coyle on Legacy, at about 1.56pm (12.56pm), with Michael Duffy and Zilton SL Z in at about 2.31pm (1.31pm). Eoin McMahon and Chacon 2 are due to jump at about 2.51pm (1.51pm) and Mark McAuley on Jasco VD Bisschop at about 3.11pm (2.11pm).

Defending champion Martin Fuchs, on Leone Jei, will jump at about 2.59pm (1.59pm), yesterday’s winners David Will and C Vier go second-last at about 3.21pm (2.21pm) and Olympic silver medallist Peder Fredricson, on Catch Me Not S, rounds off the class at about 3.23pm (2.23pm).

The top 10 teams after today’s competition will go through to tomorrow’s second Nations Cup round, which will decide the team medals. All faults will be carried forward.

The competition is being broadcast and we have all the details on how to watch the European Showjumping Championships live for you via this link.

‘It’s what I do it for’: William Whitaker reflects on first leg of the European Showjumping Championships

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:01:32 +0000

Great Britain’s anchor rider William Whitaker picked up just four faults during a lovely round with the 11-year-old Galtur in the opening leg of the European Showjumping Championships in Germany on Wednesday (1 September).

William, the senior member of the young British team at the age of 32, finished with a score of 81.77. This was good enough to place him 34th in the individual standings and helped to push Great Britain into 12th of the 15 teams after day one of the European Showjumping Championships.

“I’m normally the youngest in the team, so I feel like an old fogey this week!” said William of his team-mates Georgia Tame, Emily Moffitt and Joe Stockdale, who are all in their early 20s.

“But it’s good to try and help the others. I’ve been in their position before and it is daunting and there are so many emotions throughout the week. You’re trying to keep everything the same as you always do and think to yourself, ‘I’m obviously got here for a reason and what we’re doing is working’. But then when you get here, the atmosphere changes and you see all the other teams and everybody sticking together. It’s what I do it for, personally, but when you’ve not done it before, when it’s your first championship, there’s a lot of pressure.”

William was riding the lovely grey Galtur (Cornet’s Stern x Balou Du Rouet), who is owned and bred by Philip and Jane Tuckwell, having got the ride last year.

“It’s an amazing achievement, not only to own a horse that goes to the European Showjumping Championships, but to breed one and own it – I bet there’s not many people that can say they’ve done that. So hats off to Philip and Jane, and thanks for the support over the past 18 months.”

William also paid tribute to the support and organisation behind the scenes at these European Showjumping Championships.

“The support we’ve received from the World Class Programme and all the support staff here is second to none,” said William. “If you can’t come up with the goods on a weekend like this, then you never will!

“We went in there yesterday [for the warm-up] and had a nice pop round. He’s been in again today, obviously, and he’s usually a horse that gets better through the show. I think the conditions are brilliant here.

“I was very pleased with the way he jumped, but obviously a bit disappointed to have that one down near the end. But it’s quite an eyeful for the horses and he’s not got so much experience at that level. So I was pleased with the way he went in there and got stuck in. I think he’ll only improve from that.”

The team competition for the European Showjumping Championships continues on Thursday, with the medals being decided on Friday. The individual championship concludes on Sunday (5 September).

Britain first into the arena as European Showjumping Championships start

Eleanor Jones — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 08:38:38 +0000

Britain will be first into the arena in the first competition of the European Showjumping Championships this morning.

Today’s competition is a speed class, in which scores and times are converted to penalties.

European Showjumping Championships approx times: British riders in first competition

Georgia Tame and Z7 Ascot: 11am local time; 10am UK time
Emily Moffitt and Winning Good: approx 11.24am local time; 10.24am UK time
Joe Stockdale and Equine America Cacharel: approx 12noon local time; 11am UK time
William Whitaker and Galtur: approx 12.36pm local time; 11.36am UK time

Georgia Tame and Z7 Ascot (pictured) will kick off the first qualifying competition in the main arena of Riesenbeck International at 11am European time (10am BST). Breen Equestrian, Shane Breen and Team Z7’s 10-year-old gelding makes his senior championship debut here, as does Georgia, but the pair are no strangers to this venue, having finished second in the grand prix here last year.

Next in for Britain will be Emily Moffitt on Poden Farms and Neil and Heidi Moffitt’s Winning Good; the pair are also both at their first senior championships but were shortlisted for this summer’s Olympics, and have twice been on winning British Nations Cup teams. Emily and “Winnie” will be 13th in, at about 11.24am (10.24am BST).

Joe Stockdale and Joy Cocklin’s Equine America Cacharel continue the campaign as the 31st combination into the arena, at approximately 12pm (11am BST). This is another combination of senior championship debutants but they jumped clear, with just a single time-fault, in the five-star Rolex grand prix at Royal Windsor in July, and double clear in the three-star Nations Cup in Denmark in June.

William Whitaker and Philip Tuckwell’s Galtur will be last to go for Britain, as the 49th combination into the arena at about 12.36pm (11.36am BST). William has competed at two senior championships; the 2017 Europeans and 2018 World Equestrian Games, and he and Galtur are seasoned Nations Cup performers.

Daniel Coyle and his own and Ariel Grange’s Legacy are first in for Ireland at about 11.20am (10.20am), followed by Michael Duffy on Katherine Duffy and HMF Equestrian’s Zilton SL Z, at about 11.54am (10.54am). Eoin McMahon and Madeleine Winter’ Schulze’s Chacon 2 jump at about 12.28pm (11.28am) and Mark McAuley on his own and Scea la Tuiliere’s Jasco VD Bisschop conclude the Irish campaign for today at about 1.04pm (12.04pm).

Defending European champion Martin Fuchs, and Adolfo Juri’s Leone Jei will be jumping at about 12.20pm (11.20am) and Olympic silver medallist Peder Fredricson, on Ebba Berglof’s Catch Me Not S, at about 12.46pm (11.46am).

Tomorrow is the first of two days of team competition; the top 10 at the close of play tomorrow will progress to Friday’s medal decider.

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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 to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Britain and Ireland reveal teams for European Showjumping Championships

Becky Murray — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 17:46:44 +0000

The British and Irish riders selected for the European Showjumping Championships teams have been revealed.

The riders who will be carrying British hopes while competing at former Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum’s base in Riesenbeck, Germany (1-5 September) are:

Emily Moffitt, 22, with Poden Farms and Neil and Heidi Moffitt’s Winning Good
Joe Stockdale, 21, with Joy Cocklin’s Equine America Cacharel
Georgia Tame, 23, with Breen Equestrian Ltd, Shane Breen and Team Z7’s Z7 Ascot
William Whitaker, 31, with Philip Tuckwell’s Galtur

Emily, Joe and Georgia – and all four horses – are making their senior team debut. William rode at the World Equestrian Games in 2018, and the Europeans in 2017.

British Equestrian showjumping performance manager Di Lampard said having the “additional bonus” of the European Championships this year after the Olympics had given the selectors the opportunity to field an “exciting young team”.

“Championship experience is vital for any rider in their career and Emily, Joe, Georgia and William certainly have the potential to become mainstays of the British team for years to come,” said Di.

“I’m really looking forward to leading them in Germany and beyond.”

The selected Irish riders are:

Daniel Coyle, 27, with Ariel Grange & Daniel Coyle’s Legacy
Michael Duffy, 27, with HMF Equestrian & Katherine Duffy’s Zilton SL Z
Mark McAuley, 24, with Scea La Tuiliere & Mark’s Jasco VD Bisschop
Eoin McMahon, 26, with Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s Chacon 2

The reserve is Bertram Allen, 26, with Ballywalter Farm’s Harley VD Bisschop

“We are really looking forward to competing at these championships,” said Irish showjumping team manager Michael Blake.

“We have some exciting new combinations who have been in impressive form in recent months and this is a great opportunity for them to jump at a European Championships where the competition will be intense and the squad also includes a nice balance of experienced riders.”

Ready for the big red wall? Top showjumper bags a catch-ride, plus the full list of runners and riders in Bolesworth’s puissance

Lucy Elder — Sat, 10 Jul 2021 17:28:13 +0000

William Whitaker has caught the ride on Laura Renwick’s Top Dollar VI to jump the big red wall in the Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show puissance tonight (10 July).

Seven combinations feature on the start list for the Equitop GLME puissance class, which starts at 7.45pm

The Whitaker-Top Dollar VI partnership is an exciting addition to the class as this is the second time the chestnut stallion has been a catch ride in a puissance class.

In 2018, Laura asked Matthew Sampson if he would ride the horse in the puissance at the TheraPlate UK Liverpool International Horse Show, less than an hour before the class started.

It turned out to be a recipe for success, as Matthew shared the title with Ireland’s Mikey Pender (Hearton Du Bois Halleux).

“I just tried to ride forward and give him a little bit of room as he is such a big horse and keep him confident,” Matthew explained at the time.

“It was easier as time went on as I figured out how to ride him and trusted him a bit more.”

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Joining William on tonight’s start list is Guy Williams and his puissance star, Mr Blue Sky UK, who has six wins over red walls to his name.

Bolesworth’s 2019 puissance winner, Elliott Smith and Flamboyant III, who shared the prize with Alfie Bradstock and H. D’Or during the young horse championships, and who also took a 2020 puissance win at Bolesworth during the relocated 2020 British Showjumping National Championships will be looking to collect another crown. Derek Morton (KBS High Quality), a puissance winner here at the 2020 young horse championships, and Ireland’s Jack Ryan (KBS Major Player) will both be seeking to add the 2021 Bolesworth puissance title to their name.

Jack Whitaker brings forward his new ride, Flinstering, for the horse’s first international puissance. Jay Halim’s ride, Gentleman VD Riethandel, will also be making his puissance debut at Bolesworth.

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 to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

New faces join British Olympic showjumping entries list after injury forces reshuffle

Lucy Elder — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 18:25:47 +0000

New names have been swapped into the British Olympic showjumping entries list after injury ruled out a leading combination from this year’s Games.

William Funnell is out of contention after breaking his ankle in a fall from Equine America Billy Diamo during the Polish leg of the FEI Nations Cup series (20 June).

William Whitaker, 31, has been added to the list of nine nominated entries with Galtur. The 16.2hh 11-year-old British-bred grey gelding (Cornet’s Stern x Balou Du Rouet) is owned and bred by Philip Tuckwell.

Harry Charles’ reserve ride on the nominated entries list, Irenice Horta, owned by Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein and Peter Charles, has been removed, to be replaced by Amy Inglis, 24, and Wishes, owned and bred by Claire Inglis.

Harry remains on the nominated entries list with his own and Ann Thompson’s Romeo 88.

The full list of British Olympic showjumping entries is now as follows:

Scott Brash, with Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s 12-year-old gelding Hello Jefferson (breeder: Bernard Mols)
Harry Charles, with his own and Ann Thompson’s 12-year-old gelding Romeo 88 (breeder: Picobello Horses)
Ben Maher, with his own, Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s 12-year-old gelding Explosion W (breeder: W Wijnen)
Emily Moffitt, with Poden Farms and Neil and Heidi Moffitt’s 12-year-old gelding Winning Good (breeder: WFM van Gestel)
Holly Smith, with Ian Dowie’s 13-year-old gelding Denver (breeder: MG and AA Woertman)
Alexandra Thornton, with Dunwalke Ltd’s 15-year-old gelding Cornetto K (breeder: Johann Krull NED)
William Whitaker with Philip Tuckwell’s 11-year-old gelding Galtur (breeder: Philip Tuckwell GBR)
Ellen Whitaker, with Norman Oley’s 12-year-old gelding Arena UK Winston (breeder: Brenda Morelli)
James Wilson, with Heather Larson and Susan Larson’s 13-year-old mare Imagine de Muze (breeder: Joris De Brabander)

Reserves:

Scott Brash – first reserve: with Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s 12-year-old gelding Hello Senator (breeder: Henstra and Henstra NED). Second reserve: Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s 12-year-old gelding Hello Vincent (breeder: Raphael Dulin and Annick Dulin Legoupil FRA)
Amy Inglis, with Claire Inglis’s 13-year-old mare Wishes (Breeder: Claire Inglis GBR)

The 12 named combinations for each discipline have now been submitted to the FEI as Britain’s nominated entries for Tokyo.

The British Olympic showjumping team of three combinations plus one alternate, along with their grooms to travel to the Games, as well as the non-travelling reserves, will be announced on Monday (28 June).

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 to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

Puissance and champagne: big red wall returns to Royal Windsor after 12-year absence

Lucy Elder — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 11:14:59 +0000

The puissance is returning to the Royal Windsor Horse Show following a 12-year hiatus.

The red wall was last jumped in grounds of Windsor Castle in 2009, where a then 20-year-old William Whitaker and Cyber Space cleared 7ft to take top honours.

The competition will take place in the “champagne evening” performance from 4pm-8pm of the opening day of the 2021 show (1-4 July).

A new dressage masterclass will also be held during the Thursday evening performance, with British Olympian Richard Davison breaking down some of the grand prix movements, such as piaffe and passage as well as one-time changes. He will explain the steps required in training horses to this level and how a rider can maximise the points scored in a test.

He will be joined by leading FEI dressage judge Stephen Clarke, who was president of the ground jury at the London 2012 Olympic Games, to appraise a grand prix test.

“I am hugely excited to welcome these new additions to Royal Windsor Horse Show for 2021,” said show director Simon Brooks-Ward.

“The puissance is always great fun and a real crowd pleaser, and the dressage masterclass is certain to be extremely enlightening.

“We are also delighted to be able to offer a new ticket type this year for our evening entertainment — with the show moved back in the calendar, we are looking to encourage visitors to come to the show and enjoy the long summer evenings.”

The announcement follows the release of further general entry tickets for sold-out days. Evening tickets can also be bought separately, giving buyers access to the showground from 4pm onwards and include a voucher for a glass of champagne or virgin cocktail.

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The evening performance schedule is as follows:

Thursday

Dressage masterclass – stepping up to grand prix

DAKS Pony Club mounted games

International equestrian display

Land Rover Shetland Pony Grand National

The puissance

Musical ride of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Musical drive of The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery

Friday

DAKS Pony Club mounted games

International equestrian display

Saracen Horse Feeds Count Robert Orssich hack championship

CSI5* Pearl Stakes – Table A, Art 238.2.2

Musical ride of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Musical drive of The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery

Saturday

International equestrian display

Musical ride of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

DAKS Pony Club mounted games

Land Rover Shetland pony Grand National

CSI5* Kingdom of Bahrain Stakes for The King’s Cup – Table A, Art 238.2.2

Musical drive of The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery

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 to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

William Whitaker takes the reins on ‘exciting’ new prospect

Jennifer Donald — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 17:18:39 +0000

British showjumper William Whitaker has made his international debut with new ride Galtur, who was formerly ridden to great success by Helen Tredwell.

Owner-breeder Philip Tuckwell offered William the ride on the 12-year-old gelding a couple of months ago and the new combination have been in action at the CSI3* Cantaleu, France, over the past couple of weeks (18-27 September).

“That was actually my first international show of the year but also my first bigger show with Galtur,” said Yorkshire-based William of the gelding by Cornet’s Stern out of top mare Balouetta (by Balou Du Rouet), who Helen also used to ride.

“He’s a lovely horse but he’d been back at his owner’s place for a while and had a break.

“Galtur is an exciting prospect, a very nice horse and obviously he’s been produced very professionally — he’s had a great start in life, which always helps,” William told H&H.

“Just from what I’ve done with him so far, he seems to be a horse that really wants to do his job; he’s good to work with.”

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Galtur proved a great Nations Cup horse for Buckinghamshire-based Helen, representing Great Britain in Morocco and Gijon, Spain, last year where the gelding also competed in his first five-star grand prix, finishing with just one rail down in the first round.

He had been produced up the ranks by Helen, qualifying for the newcomers and grade C finals at Horse of the Year Show, and the pair had jumped to many victories on the county circuit.

“I wish Will and Galtur all the best, he couldn’t have gone to a better jockey,” Helen told H&H.

Don’t miss a round-up of all the international shows in this week’s Horse & Hound — as well as an exclusive interview with the new national champion Louise Saywell — out on Thursday, 1 October.

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 to access our H&H Plus online service which brings you breaking news as it happens as well as other benefits.

William Whitaker on life back in Britain: ‘It’s nice being home’

Carol Phillips — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 15:24:41 +0000

Following William Whitaker’s recent return to the UK, H&H’s magazine editor Pippa Roome caught up with the top British showjumper on episode 10 of The Horse & Hound Podcast to chat about life back in Britain, his recently increased admiration for those working in the education sector, special memories from his childhood and saying a sad farewell to an exceptional ‘family horse’, among many other topics.

“It’s very nice being based back at home in Huddersfield with my family, because the last five years I’ve been here, there and everywhere between Belgium, Germany and the US so it’s really nice to be back home permanently and building up a new string of horses,” says William.

Having arrived back from the US shortly before the coronavirus pandemic reached its height, the father of three found himself having to juggle establishing his new stable alongside home schooling his two older children, Bella and Oliver, with his wife, which he described as “very stressful” at the start, but admitted he got to enjoy it.

“I took my hat off to the teachers before, but now it’s beyond all imagination – I just do not know how they cope with so many children and do such a good job,” he says.

“It took a couple of weeks for the kids to get used to it. I felt once they got into the routine of a couple of hours a day, they settled into it and I think they got to quite enjoy it and so did I — watching them work and watching them learn.

“With me having been away it was nice that I was almost forced into spending so much time with them. When you’re starting up a new team of horses, you can get submerged in what you do, but with all the shows stopping, it opened up that opportunity for me to spend time with the children to concentrate on their schoolwork and after a few weeks, when I looked back, I really appreciated it.”

Among William’s career highlights to date was winning the World Cup at Olympia, which was his final ride on his brilliant partner Utamaro D’Ecaussines, but the personal significance of the win went much, much deeper than that.

“It was our family Christmas treat every year when we were kids to go to Olympia to watch John and Michael jump. I used to look forward to that — as soon as we’d left the year before, I’d look forward to it the year after. All my cousins were there and we’d been down for the week watching all the classes and most importantly the World Cup. I’d go to Olympia and then I’d come home and I’d be practising jump-off turns on my ponies just like I’d watched John and Michael all week. That’s how I grew up,” he says.

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Moving on to talking about another special horse from his past, the Hickstead Derby winner Glenavadra Brilliant, William explains why he holds such fond memories of the big chestnut, who was put down in June.

“It was really sad when he had to be put down,” says William. “He’d been part of the family for 10 years and he really was a family horse: me and my two brothers George and James had all rode him and had success on him.

“He was that larger than life character in the stable — one that really had a presence and all the staff looked out for him. He gave me and Jim massive career victories; me the Hickstead Derby and Jim the Queen’s Cup and just for those two things alone, never mind everything else he did for us, we’ll be for ever grateful.”

If you’d like to hear more from William, including why he decided to move to Belgium and whether he thinks Belgium, Germany, the US or Britain is the best place to produce a string of horses, listen here to episode 10 of The Horse & Hound podcast or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

We are continuing to produce Horse & Hound as a weekly magazine during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to keep our website at horseandhound.co.uk up to date with breaking news, features and more. Click here for info about magazine subscriptions and access to our premium H&H Plus content online.

The Horse & Hound Podcast: episode 10 – William Whitaker | Hard ground worries | News round-up

Carol Phillips — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 05:30:55 +0000

Welcome to the 10th weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, in which we chat to top British showjumper William Whitaker about being based back in Britain, what Olympia means to him, the special horses of his career to date and his plans for the future; our news team talk about the Covid-19 rules in place at international shows plus why some owners need to rethink what’s best for their horses welfare and the countdown to new equine ID rules; while vet Ricky Farr MRCVS explains why hard ground causes so many problems for horses and what owners can do to help avoid problems.

Episode 10 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, our exciting new audio service available exclusively every Thursday morning for our H&H Plus subscribers, is now live. We would love to hear your feedback on this week’s episode, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com

In an exciting development, we have decided, for a limited time, to make each episode available for all H&H fans to listen to 24hrs after its early release to our H&H Plus members. Search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your prefered podcast app and click subscribe to be notified about each new episode. This will allow more listeners to make The Horse & Hound Podcast an essential part of their week on Friday morning.

In episode 10, top British showjumper William Whitaker shares some special memories from his career with our podcast host and magazine editor Pippa Roome. William reflects on what it’s like to be based back in Britain after spending a number of years working abroad, his new found appreciation for teachers after home schooling his children during lockdown, why Olympia holds such a special place in his heart, some of the most special horses he’s ridden during his career and shares his plans are for the future.

“It was our family Christmas treat every year when we were kids to go to Olympia – as soon as we’d left the year before, I’d look forward to the year after” – William Whitaker

Pippa is joined by news editor Eleanor Jones and news writer Becky Murray to chat about this week’s top stories including why an Olympic legend is calling for riders to step up and share the responsibility to keep everyone safe at international shows and what actions have been put in place to help. Also under discussion are fresh calls for owners to ask themselves if their stabling and turnout facilities are ideal for their horses’ mental and physical wellbeing, plus all you need to know about the new rules on microchips and registering horses with the Central Equine Database.

“It is everyone’s responsibility. Thinking about here in Britain, if we don’t act responsibly and follow the Covid-19 guidance, we can’t expect shows to remain open to us. As individuals we all have to do our bit” – Becky Murray

We also hear from equine vet Ricky Farr MRCVS of Farr & Pursey Equine, who this week is talking about the risks of riding on hard ground and what owners can do to protect their horses from the negative results.

“Consider the biomechanics that are going on. There are massive amounts of concussion when riding on hard ground and that will have repercussions at some point” – Ricky Farr, MRCVS

We hope you will enjoy it.

H&H Plus podcast: episode 10

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What did you think of this week’s podcast? Let us know by emailing pippa.roome@futurenet.com

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‘Thank you, Max’: farewell to Hickstead specialist

Eleanor Jones — Wed, 27 May 2020 05:56:49 +0000

William and James Whitaker have paid tribute to Hickstead Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Glenavadra Brilliant, who has been put down aged 17.

William told H&H the big chestnut had been on “fighting form”, but that, it is believed, he was suffering from a neurological issue, and despite vets’ best efforts, he had to be put down.

“He didn’t suffer as it all happened so quickly,” he said. “That was tough for us, but better for him.”

“Max” took William to his first Hickstead Derby win in 2016.

“That was fantastic,” William said. “I’d always known he had it in him to do really well in the Derby; he loved it at Hickstead. When we got it done, I was delighted; for the horse and his owner.

James Whitaker riding GLENAVADRA BRILLIANT winner of The BHS Queen Elizabeth II Cup during The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Great Britain at the BHS Royal International Horse Show held at the Hickstead Show ground near Haywards Heath in West Sussex, in the UK between 25-29th July 2018 (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“It’s one of those classes like a championship; you only get one shot and so many good Derby horses haven’t won it so I was so pleased everything came together on the day.”

William described Max as a “real character” and a yard favourite, whom he always looked forward to riding.

“He always tried his best for you,” he added. “For a big horse, he always carried himself so well. We’re all devastated.”

Max had a string of other good results, including winning the 2018 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Hickstead with William’s brother James, who had taken over the reins.

Continues below…

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

William Whitaker triumphs in the 2016 Hickstead Derby VIDEO

Hear from this year's Derby victor — after he seals the victory with one time-penalty

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Whitaker wins Hickstead’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup for the first time

A daring turn won the BHS Queen Elizabeth II Cup for a young member of the Whitaker dynasty

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

James said: “He was a larger than life character who left a big impression on anyone who came into association with him. He was bought from Ireland as a six-year-old by his late owner Calvin McDonald, and made his way over to our family farm in Yorkshire through our uncle Michael. From then on we could tell he had something about him – a certain charisma and drive to always try his very best at everything he did, and that never left him, right until the very end at the age of 17.

“He had such a huge impact on all our lives and careers; he has left us with memories and wins we could never forget. Thank you to everyone who helped look after him during his lifetime and to Hird and Partners Shelf Equine Clinic for doing everything you could for him.

“Our farm won’t be the same without you, Max. Thank you.”

We continue to publish Horse & Hound magazine weekly during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as keeping horseandhound.co.uk up to date with all the breaking news, features and more. Click here for info about magazine subscriptions (six issues for £6) and access to our premium H&H Plus content online.

Five minutes with: Top showjumper William Whitaker H&H Plus

Jennifer Donald — Sat, 02 May 2020 15:00:18 +0000

Yorkshire-based William Whitaker, 30, is one of the country’s leading showjumpers – the Olympia World Cup was one of his greatest victories. Having parted company with his previous backer at the start of the year, he has returned home to build up a new string.

What was the last book you read?

Bradley Wiggins’ autobiography My Time – it was really inspirational.

What are your favourite tunes for a road-trip?

I love to listen to a bit of Avicii.

What’s your most annoying habit and your best trait?

My wife Elisabeth says my worst habit is putting my wet towel on the bed after a shower. I’d like to think my best trait is treating others how I like to be treated myself.

If you could have any horse in the world, which would you want?

Tough question – there have been so many incredible horses over the years. But if I had to pick one it would be Big Star. He was scopey, careful, fast and rideable. He looked untouchable on his day.

If you weren’t a rider, you would be…

A farmer or a turf layer.

Do you speak any other languages?

I speak a little bit of Swedish as my wife Elisabeth comes from Sweden.

What’s your favourite country?

To compete in, it would be Britain – you can’t beat competing at a big show on home soil. For a holiday I like Tenerife.

How many dogs do you have? Any other pets?

We have six dogs, five guinea pigs, four chickens and a cat.

What got you into the most trouble as a child?

Fighting with my brother, George.

What is the best thing you cook?

I’m not a great cook, but I can make good sweet potato wedges. I’m not bad at omelettes either.

How are you and your horses coping during the coronavirus crisis?

Not too much has changed at home for the horses – their routines stay pretty much the same apart from the competitions being on hold. Meanwhile we are doing plenty of hand-washing and keeping our distance from one another.

What was your first pony?

A little white Welsh mountain gelding called Peter Pan. He was 11hh, had a lovely temperament and wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he was very lazy.

Which famous person would you invite to dinner?

I am a big sports fan so I would love to get a group of the GOATs (Greatest Of All Time) from different sports together to discuss their journeys to the top. I would invite Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Roger Federer, Ronnie O’Sullivan, AP McCoy, Alan Shearer and Michael Jordan. These are just a few – I would need a big table!

Give us the lowdown on your current top horse…

I have a couple of promising new horses that I’ve been riding since moving back to the UK in January, including the Minderman family’s 11-year-old Toulon mare, Eribelle N (pictured, left). We also have a nice bunch of youngsters I’ve been working on with my brother, James, and the rest of the team at home.

Your favourite tipple?

A good cup of Yorkshire Tea.

Ref Horse & Hound; 30 April 2020

11 fun facts you might not know about William Whitaker

Jennifer Donald — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 08:24:39 +0000

William Whitaker has enjoyed a very successful career in showjumping so far, and here we give you some key facts to help you get to know him a little better…

1. At 6ft 1in, William Whitaker is the tallest member of the Whitaker showjumping dynasty.

2. One of the 30-year-old’s greatest victories came at the Olympia Horse Show in 2018 when he won the Longines FEI World Cup qualifier riding Utamaro D’Ecaussines.

3. William started competing at the age of eight and won three Horse of the Year Show titles during his pony career — the 138cm championship (2001) on Mystic Starlight Express, the pony Foxhunter (2003) on Devlin and the leading junior show jumper of the year (2005) riding Indien De Here, also finishing second with Colton Maelstrom.

4. He trained in Florida with American showjumper Aaron Vale after leaving school and was based with his uncle Michael Whitaker before setting up his own yard.

5. He has won championship medals at the pony Europeans in 2005, the junior Europeans in 2006, in young riders in 2007 and 2008, and in 2009 he competed on a borrowed horse in the youth Olympics in Australia to win a bronze medal.

6. Statistically, 2019 was William’s most successful year to date in which he won 14 international showjumping classes.

7. When he’s not competing around the world, his hobby is football and he supports Huddersfield Town and Manchester United.

8. He comes from showjumping’s most famous family and his father Ian — brother of John, Michael and Steven — rode ponies, but instead went on to become a farmer. William’s brothers James and George are also both showjumpers.

9. Since William parted company with owners Rushy Marsh Farm in January 2020, he and James are now running their stables together at the family farm near Huddersfield in Yorkshire.

Continued below…

(Image credit: Karl-Heinz Frieler/FEI)

William Whitaker wins Stuttgart World Cup [VIDEO]

Watch the 25-year-old ride Fandango to victory in the fifth round of the Longines FEI World Cup jumping series

(Image credit: Karl-Heinz Frieler/FEI)

William Whitaker makes history at Olympia Horse Show

The latest member of the Whitaker family to make his Olympia debut cleared 2.16m on Haddon House Leonardo to win

(Image credit: Karl-Heinz Frieler/FEI)

10. In the 2008 British Open, Robert, Michael and William finished first, second and third. This was the first time in the history of the sport that members of the same family have finished in the top three placings at a top international show.

11. William is the father of three children, a boy and two girl, with his wife Elisabeth.

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William Whitaker’s Tokyo hopes dashed after losing his top horses H&H Plus

Jennifer Donald — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 15:48:30 +0000

William told Horse & Hound that the decision came as a ‘surprise’ and that he is looking for new owners...

One of Great Britain’s leading showjumpers, William Whitaker, has lost the ride on several of his top horses after parting company with his owners Rushy Marsh Farm LLC.

In a statement released today (29 January), William said: “My co-operation with Rushy Marsh Farm (RMF) has come to an end. I would like to thank RMF, the Stormanns family, the grooms — Benoit Lecomte, Benoit Tichit and Arthur Anty — and further support staff that helped me throughout the year in the US and in Germany.“I look forward to the next chapter in my career and to building up a strong team of horses, owners and partners to set a solid foundation for the future and ultimately continuing the goal of competing at the highest level of our sport and pushing for Championship and Olympic medals with Team GB. I will be based back in the UK with my family.”William told H&H: “It came as a surprise as the horses had been in such good form, but it was a great opportunity to ride them.”William began his association with Rushy Marsh Farm, owned by Frank and Monica McCourt, in January last year, splitting his time between bases in Germany and USA.

As one of the stable’s riders, he took the reins on a string of seven top class horses, including the 12-year-old RMF Cadeau De Muze, the 11-year-old stallion RMF Chacco Top — a CSI5* winner at Olympia and Miami — his HOYS speed horse of the year title-holder RMF Echo and William’s dual puissance winner at Olympia and Liverpool, RMF Charly.

William was also a core member of the McCourt-sponsored Miami Celtics team during the 2019 season of the Global Champions League (GCL).

International businessman Frank McCourt was the co-founder of the GCL and had been a major shareholder with Jan Tops in the Longines Global Champions Tour until this month, when it was announced that global investment holding company Tennor, founded by German entrepreneur Lars Windhorst, would be coming in to take over the shareholding of McCourt Global.

“Partnering with Jan over the past six years to build the innovative and successful GCL and to grow the geographic footprint of the Longines Global Champions Tour has been exciting,” said Frank H McCourt Jr.

“Great value has been created and I am confident that both the league and the tour are positioned for continued success. I wish Jan and Lars the best in years to come.”

William has returned home to Yorkshire, where his wife Elisabeth and three children have been based during his stints in Germany and USA during the past 12 months. He has plans to continue running the yard with his brother James Whitaker.

“I’m back at the family farm alongside my brother James and will be taking this opportunity to continue to produce the horses we currently have — as well as building a new string, ideally with the help of some new owners,” William told H&H.

H&H has contacted Helena Stormanns, who works for Graham and Monica McCourt and manages the RMF horses, for a comment.

Hickstead Derby winner and puissance first-timer share Olympia spoils

Sarah Radford — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 10:32:05 +0000

Britain’s William Whitaker guided puissance first-timer RMF Charly to an impeccable joint victory at The London International Horse Show, Olympia, sharing the spoils with Ireland’s Michael Pender and his Hickstead Derby victor Hearton Du Bois Halleux.

Three combinations went the full five rounds, with last year’s joint-winners Mr Blue Sky UK and Guy Williams also making the final cut, where the big wall reached 7’2” (2m 18cm).

All three combinations had jumped fantastically throughout, with Caroline Phillip’s 10-year-old grey gelding and Guy repeatedly drawing gasps from the crowd as they gave the triple bar feet to spare in each round.

But in the final showdown, the exuberant son of Chacco Blue just trailed his toes behind to bring down a brick and leave the remaining two riders to vie for the £12,150 first prize.

Michael Pender riding Hearton du Bois Halleux during Class 08 The Cayenne Puissance at Olympia, The London International Horse Show held at Olympia in London in the UK, between the 16-22 December 2019 (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

William and the 10-year-old RMF Charly had been foot-perfect throughout, giving a masterclass in popping the wall from an easy rhythm. Paul Van Den Bosch’s Hearton Du Bois Halleux had also displayed the incredible scope that landed him victory at Hickstead this summer.

In the final heat both looked even more settled, clearing the famous red bricks without a tap to secure their joint victory.

“I am delighted with him as it was his first one,” said William, who has partnered the Holsteiner since he was bought by Rushy Marsh Farms in Florida at the beginning of this year.

“You can bring an extra horse for the puissance [when you are jumping the international classes] and we thought it would be a good experience for him to get in the ring in that atmosphere.

“He felt like he really settled into it. He’s a horse who has been a really good addition to the team as you can do a speed class or a grand prix — and now we know a puissance as well — and it’s well within his capabilities.”

In a year that has landed him firmly in the public consciousness, 21-year-old Michael praised the incredible talents of his 12-year-old ride, who he said “does everything you ask and always wants to please you”.

Continues below…

Watch how Michael Pender won the Hickstead Derby — including THAT jaw-dropping leap over the water

Take a look at the jump-off round that secured this young Irishman’s Hickstead Derby victory

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

H&H’s 135th birthday: William Whitaker — ‘I still think about that moment every day’

As we celebrate H&H’s 135th birthday with a bumper issue out now (dated 20 June), we asked some of equestrian

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“In the first round he was a little bit tense but after that he got better and better,” said the Olympia first-timer, who has travelled from his home in South Kildare for the Cayenne puissance and six-bar this week. “The last two rounds were actually the best two, he felt fantastic and like he jumped it easily.

“Every time you get on him you know there is no jump too big and no course too difficult and I’d like to thank his owner for giving me the opportunity to ride him.”

Equal fourth place went to Alfie Bradstock and Darragh Magner’s H D’Or, previous puissance victors at Horse of the Year Show, and Ireland’s Nano Healy with his own 12-year-old KMS Clinton. Both made the fourth round but tipped a brick over the 7ft (2m15) wall.

Are you a fan of puissance competitions? Let us know your views by emailing hhletters@ti-media.com with your name and nearest town for the chance to be featured in the letters page a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine…

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H&H’s 135th birthday: William Whitaker — ‘I still think about that moment every day’

Andrea Oakes — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 11:24:39 +0000

Through the highs and lows of equestrian sport, Horse & Hound has been there – documenting the many achievements of Britain’s top riders and sharing their experiences on the world stage. We all have our treasured memories from the last few decades of competition, but what would some of our best-loved celebrities single out as their proudest moments? Next up, as we celebrate H&H’s 135th birthday with a bumper issue (dated 20 June), is showjumper William Whitaker…

Victory is always sweet in front of a home crowd. Six months after winning the World Cup at Olympia, Britain’s top equestrian extravaganza, showjumper William Whitaker is still bathing in the afterglow.

“Even now, I still can’t really believe it,” says William, who had set his sights on the class as a child, when he watched his uncles John and Michael take the honours. “I still think about that moment every day.

“I was saving my horse [Utamaro D’Ecaussines, pictured winning the class] that week because I wanted to keep him fresh,” he recalls. “He jumped brilliantly in the first round but there were 17 clears, so I realised that going clear was only a fraction of the job done. I had my plan for the jump-off and felt such a rush over the final fence. I knew I’d done as much as I could, but there were still eight or nine to go – I just had to sit it out and keep my fingers crossed.

“Laura Kraut rode last. I was in the collecting ring, watching on the screen, and with every fence she cleared I remember thinking: ‘I can’t believe I’ve got this far, only to lose to the last one’. But then [TV presenter] Clare Balding said to me: ‘You’ve done it!’.

Article continues below…

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(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

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As we celebrate H&H’s 135th birthday with a bumper issue out now (dated 20 June), we asked some of equestrian

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“It takes a while to process a big win like that. I’m not really one for the prizes – the rugs, the rosettes and the watches. For me, the memories are all in my mind.

“Along with the King George, the World Cup at Olympia is one of the two biggest classes in Britain. If you’d asked me as a kid which class I would like to win as a grown-up, I would have said this one. It really meant something to me – all I wanted was to have my name in the history books as the winner.”

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

#SundaySchool: William Whitaker on how to develop rhythm

Andrea Oakes — Sun, 19 May 2019 15:24:49 +0000

Sharpen up your showjumping basics with this curved grid exercise

Aim

One of the most important steps in producing a showjumping horse is to develop rhythm.

This grid will encourage you to use the correct leg and hand aids to maintain consistent rhythm. It will give a useful indication of your horse’s jumping pace — too slow and five strides will be difficult to achieve, but too fast and you won’t fit them in. The exercise will also train your eye to focus on a new destination, riding over one pole and looking ahead to plan for the next.

The exercise

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

1. Lay out the poles to allow five strides (just over 18m) on each corner, from mid-pole to mid-pole. Leave plenty of room on the long, straight sides at first, as you don’t want to overwhelm the horse at the outset with challenges that come too thick and fast.

2. Start at walk, so the horse understands what is being asked of him. Once he is happy with this, progress to trot. Don’t worry about the number of strides — aim for the centre of each pole, keep a nice inside bend on the corners and use the parallel poles as a guide for straightness on the long sides. Work evenly on both reins.

3. With this established, move into canter and aim for five strides on each corner. React to what the horse is doing by using more inside leg if he falls in on the corners, or more outside rein and leg if he falls out through the shoulder. He should soon learn to stay on the correct canter lead, but be prepared to come back to trot for a stride or two if necessary to put this right.

4. Once you’re both confident at canter, on both reins, replace the poles with small cavaletti.

5. Make things more challenging by placing water trays under the cavaletti, or swapping one for some spooky fillers or a small plank. Aim to keep even, relaxed canter strides.

Article continues below…

Top British rider aims for Olympics after move to US

Sarah Radford — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 13:02:05 +0000

Show jumper William Whitaker has started his new job as a rider for Rushy Marsh Farm and will now be based in Germany and the US.

The 29-year-old has spent the past two-and-a-half years in Belgium working with Ludwig and Yasmine Criel but started his new role with Monica and Frank McCourt last week.

“I took a holiday with my family the first week of January and then came out here [to Germany] and I’m just getting to know the horses at the moment,” said William.

“We will then fly out to Florida next week. I’ve never done the Wellington circuit before, so I am looking forward to going out there to experience it.”

William’s new rides will include 10-year-old RMF Cadeau De Muze and 14-year-old RMF Echo, previously ridden by Ireland’s Denis Lynch.

“We have three horses here at the moment and a couple more in America — the plan is to use Wellington as a bit of a training ground and then see how these horses get into a programme,” he added.

William’s time at the Criels’ included championship appearances with their 14-year-old stallion Utamaro De Ecaussines. It was a partnership that had a fairytale ending when they landed the biggest win of William’s career in the Longines FEI World Cup at the London International Horse Show, Olympia last month.

“I was delighted with the way Uti jumped there — all my horses jumped well that week and to come away with that result was extra special,” William said.

The Criels’ horses have now been taken over by Belgian rider Niels Bruynseels.

“Uti was difficult to say goodbye to, he’s been a fantastic horse for me for the past two-and-a-half years and it wasn’t just him — it all the horses I had there,” William added. “It’s never easy when you change place, both for me and my groom Benoit, but you move on.”

William said the move to Rushy Marsh had not been something “he was looking for” but that the “opportunity came up”.

“I really enjoyed my time with Ludwig and Yasmine, they really took care of me, and this move is something I gave it a lot of thought to. I just felt it was a good opportunity to move forward over the next couple of years,” he explained.

William told H&H that representing Britain on championship teams will remain one of his “big goals” while working for his American employers.

“My aim to compete in the Olympics stays the same, and it’s something I will be talking about with the owners of the horses and the trainer here,” he said.

William’s opportunities this season already include a place on the Miami Celtics team in the Global Champions League, which was co-founded by his new employer.

“It means it will open the door to jump at Global Champions Tour shows as well,” he said.

Continues below…

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Meet the 2016 Hickstead Derby winner William Whitaker

Following William Whitaker's Hickstead Derby win this weekend (26 June) with the chestnut gelding Glenavadra Brilliant, find out what makes

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

11 fun facts you might not know about William Whitaker

Find out nine little-known facts about the 30-year-old British showjumper

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

William’s arrangement with Rushy Marsh Farm is not exclusive and he will be available to ride horses for other owners. His youngest brother James will be continue to manage his rides Lammy Beach and William’s 2016 Hickstead Derby winner Glenavadra Brilliant from the family’s Harrogate base.

William’s wife Elisabeth and children Isabella and Oliver will also remain in the UK and he plans to visit during school holidays. He confirmed that they would be travelling out to Florida at half term when a trip to Disney World would be likely.

“The great thing about having kids is that it’s a good excuse!” he said

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

‘It’s totally surreal’: British rider wins World Cup qualifier at Olympia

Penny Richardson — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 17:51:45 +0000

The name Whitaker is synonymous with Olympia, the London International Horse Show and on the show’s “super Saturday”, William Whitaker became the latest member of his illustrious family to win the prestigious Longines World Cup qualifier.

William and the Criel family’s wonderful Utamaro D’Ecaussines (Uti) had to do it the hard way, as they were seventh to go in a star-studded 18-horse jump-off .

“I told myself that I didn’t know how many chances I might get in a World Cup here and that I mustn’t go defensive in the jump-off,” said William.

Uti must have heard him. The little 14-year-old stallion set off at fast as he could go. He may not have the longest stride of any horse on the circuit, but what he does have is an enormous heart and their round was sheer perfection. They never wasted an inch and William crossed the line at the gallop to take the lead by more than two seconds.

The Yorkshireman then had to suffer what must have seemed the longest half an hour of his life.

Challenges came and went, with pre-class favourites Marcus Ehning and Pret A Tout beating the time at the expense of a pole down. Belgium’s Karel Cox came extremely close for the runner-up spot on Evert and when the last pair of Laura Kraut and Zeremonie’s time was good enough for third place, William’s leap in the collecting ring almost rivalled those of his horse.

Continued below…

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Heartbreak as horse dies at Olympia

‘Everything humanly possible was done, but unfortunately the horse could not be saved.’

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Top riders join miniature Shetlands in Olympia parade

Gemma Tattersall and Laura Renwick joined the ponies and a miniature donkey in the Grand Hall

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“This is by far my best ever win. I’ve been coming here since I was two and I got used to watching my uncles John and Michael winning the World Cup,” said William.

“I always wondered what it would be like to win something like this and now I have it hasn’t really sunk in. The whole thing is totally surreal.”

Don’t miss a moment of H&H’s extensive coverage. Check out dressage and Wednesday-Saturday showjumping reports in the 28 December issue (out Friday, not Thursday this week because of Christmas schedules), while showing, driving and Sunday showjumping coverage will be in the 3 January 2019 issue.

Britain and Ireland miss out on Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification in WEG jumping

Pippa Roome — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 21:46:44 +0000

Britain and Ireland both missed out on qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as the Bank of America Merrill Lynch-sponsored showjumping team competition finished this afternoon (Friday, 21 September) at the World Equestrian Games (WEG).

Britain finished in eighth. The lead-off horse, The Billy Stud’s Billy Buckingham, was tired today and had three fences down under William Funnell, plus a time-fault.

“Obviously it’s very disappointing, it’s not what we wanted,” said William. “It’s easy to make excuses but it’s not good enough.”

The next two rounds brought hope to Britain. Holly Smith hit top form with Hearts Destiny, who belongs to TJ Hall Limited, Holly and her husband Graham, and finished with just one time-fault.

“He was jumping the best he has all week and I let him down with the time-fault,” she said.

Amanda Derbyshire was over the moon to put in a clear for Britain with Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s Luibanta BH.

“I wasn’t nervous but I was a bit stressed because I knew every score counted after William and I didn’t want to let the team down,” she said.

William Whitaker stayed clear up to fence 11, but both that and fence 12 came down for him and Ludwig Criel’s Utamaro D’Ecaussines. Only a fault-free round would have pushed Britain up to sixth and secured the Tokyo 2020 ticket.

It was a similar story for Ireland, who finished seventh. Shane Sweetnam (Chaqui Z) had nine faults, with four apiece for Shane Breen (Ipswich Van De Wolfsakker), Paul O’Shea (Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu) and Cian O’Connor (Good Luck).

“I’m delighted for myself but we need clear rounds,” said Shane Breen. “I’d have liked to take a bit of pressure off the lads.”

Britain and Ireland will now have to try to qualify for the Olympics at next year’s European Championships.

Article continues below…

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(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

USA claims team gold in thrilling jump-off at WEG: ‘I’m proud to be American today’

The showjumping World Championship went down to the wire when Sweden and the home side had to jump off for

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The Netherlands ends Great Britain’s unbeaten para dressage run: ‘We will come back stronger’

The Netherlands makes history as Britain’s 23-year reign as champions of para dressage finally comes to an end

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Tales from Tryon: ‘I don’t want to have to earn money from horses — I go to the stables and that’s my gift’

The achievements of the 24-year-old World Championship competitor are even more impressive because she is not a professional rider

Amanda Derbyshire is through to Sunday’s individual final, for which the final 25 competitors qualify. She is currently lying 15th. Cian O’Connor goes through to the final in sixth place.

Cian O’Connor and Good Luck at WEG 2018. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Keep up to date with all the news from Tryon on horseandhound.co.uk

Horse & Hound’s bumper magazine reports from WEG will be in the issues dated 20 September (dressage and eventing) and 27 September (showjumping and para dressage).

Britain and Ireland qualify for final round of WEG team showjumping

Pippa Roome — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 21:52:51 +0000

Britain is through to the final round of the team competition in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch-sponsored showjumping at the World Equestrian Games (WEG). Team GBR finished ninth today (Thursday, 20 September) and the top 10 teams will return tomorrow to fight for medals and Olympic qualification, which goes to the top six teams.

Amanda Derbyshire starred for Britain this afternoon with five faults — four for a foot in the water and one for time — on Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s Luibanta BH.

“I’m so proud of her, she was brilliant,” said Amanda. “For a little horse to jump all those big jumps when it’s hot and keep going to the end is incredible.”

Britain’s final rider William Whitaker had eight faults on Ludwig Criel’s Utamaro D’Ecaussines, at the upright at fence six and the second element of the difficult double at 13.

“It was a tough course and that’s what you expect, but it’s still disappointing,” said William. “I need to have a look at the video and work out where it all went wrong.”

William Funnell (Billy Buckingham) had five faults this morning and Holly Smith eight, so with one of Britain’s eight-fault scores discarded, the team score from today and yesterday is 31.04. This is some 12.95 points behind the medal zone, but less than one pole (four faults) behind sixth place, which would secure a ticket to Tokyo 2020.

Ireland currently sits sixth on 27.12. Paul O’Shea had eight faults this afternoon on Skara Glen’s Macchu Picchu, at the final part of the treble at four and the second element of the double at 13.

“I don’t know know what I’d do differently — we needed a bit of luck. He tried his heart out and gave us everything,” said Paul.

Cian O’Connor secured Ireland’s position in the final with a fantastic clear on Good Luck, one of only five today.

“I’m really happy. Yesterday I made a mistake and today I rode better and he went clear,” said Cian.

Cian currently lies fifth individually, with Amanda Britain’s best rider in 25th.

Article continues below…

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(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Britain’s qualification for tomorrow’s WEG showjumping hangs in the balance

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The achievements of the 24-year-old World Championship competitor are even more impressive because she is not a professional rider

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Sophie Wells breaks a WEG record riding C Fatal Attraction in Tryon

Switzerland, the USA and Germany hold the team medal spots at the end of today. Switzerland’s effort is led by Janika Sprunger on Bacardi VDL, who just had a time-fault today.

Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca holds the individual lead now, after a clear today on Irenice Horta.

“She’s jumping amazingly and we’ll keep trying our best,” said Lorenzo, who has only been riding the mare since June.

McLain Ward is second for the US, having added a single time-fault to his score today, and Sweden’s Peder Fredricson sits third with H&M Christian K.

Keep up to date with all the news from Tryon on horseandhound.co.uk

Horse & Hound’s bumper magazine reports from WEG will be in the issues dated 20 September (dressage and eventing) and 27 September (showjumping and para dressage).

William Whitaker best of the Brits as Team GBR 16th after first day of WEG showjumping

Pippa Roome — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 21:42:42 +0000

Britain lies 16th after the first leg of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch-sponsored showjumping at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Tryon today (Wednesday, 19 September).

Britain’s anchorman rider, William Whitaker on Ludwig Criel’s Utamaro D’Ecaussines, had a great round, with just four faults at the oxer into the double at fence 11 for a score of 82.62sec. He finished 28th in today’s competition.

“I was really pleased with him, he jumped a great round over a tricky course,” said William. “It’s difficult to get the balance between being quick and not taking too many risks. I should have helped him a bit at fence 11, but I couldn’t be happier with how he jumped and it gives me confidence going into tomorrow.”

At the end of today’s competition, riders’ scores are converted into penalties which they take forward into the next days of jumping. The best three scores will count for each team.

Britain’s third team rider, Amanda Derbyshire, finished on 85.3sec after Luibanta BH, who belongs to Gochman Sport Horse LLC, plunged into the water jump at fence eight. Amanda managed to get things back together, although the pair did also have the back bar off the oxer at fence nine.

“You can’t get yourself down about it — it’s a long week and we just have to do the best we can,” said Amanda, who lies 46th. “She’s never done that before and I don’t think she’ll do it again.”

Britain’s first two riders jumped this morning — William Funnell (Billy Buckingham) finished the day in 60th and Holly Smith (Hearts Destiny) in 59th.

Article continues below…

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(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Britain off to a solid start in showjumping at WEG: ‘These aren’t speed horses; they will come into their own tomorrow’

William Funnell and Holly Smith made a good start for Britain this morning, while a Colombian rider currently holds top

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‘This means such a lot’: Britain’s Sophie Wells crowned world champion in Tryon

Britain's Sophie Wells claims gold on day one of the para dressage in Tryon

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Ros Canter’s showjumping clear secures fantastic double gold for Britain at WEG

Britain claimed the team and individual gold medals in the eventing at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA, this

Ireland sits 10th in the team standings. This afternoon Paul O’Shea took the back bar off the first fence, a triple bar, with Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu to finish on 87.33sec in 62nd.

“I was too slow to number one and left him too much to do — I have to take the blame for that, but he jumped very good,” said Paul.

His team-mate Cian O’Connor finished on 81.72sec in 23rd after Good Luck just knocked down the back rail of the oxer at fence 12.

The penultimate rider into the arena, Steve Guerdat of Switzerland, won today’s competition riding Bianca in a time of 76.33sec. Switzerland also holds top spot in the team competition, ahead of the Netherlands in second and Brazil in third.

“I think it’s an advantage in a speed class to go towards the end,” said Steve. “I walked the course and it was nine hours later until I get on my horse so it was a long day, but we knew that before we came and were ready.”

Temperatures were touching 30ºC today in Tryon, but Steve said it didn’t bother the horses.

“All the horses I’ve had like the heat — they feel better, they are looser than when it’s cold and they get a bit tight in the body,” said Steve.

Brazil’s Pedro Veniss (Quabri De L’Isle) took second with Rowan Wills third for Australia riding Blue Movie.

Keep up to date with all the news from Tryon on horseandhound.co.uk

Horse & Hound’s bumper magazine reports from WEG will be in the issues dated 20 September (dressage and eventing) and 27 September (showjumping and para dressage).

British showjumping squad hungry for World Equestrian Games success

Eleanor Jones — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 09:59:26 +0000

The showjumping squad due to represent Great Britain at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) has been named.

The team due to travel to Tryon, US, for the Games, which start in less than three weeks’ time on 11 September, comprises:

Amanda Derbyshire on Goghman Sport horse LLC’s Luibanta BH
William Funnell on the Billy Stud’s Billy Buckingham
Holly Smith on her own, Graham Smith and TJ Hall Ltd’s Hearts Destiny
William Whitaker on Ludwig and Yasmine Criel’s Utamaro d’Ecaussines

The travelling reserve is Alexandra Thornton on Dunwalke Ltd’s Cornetto K.

“We are heading out to Tryon with an exciting team of horses and riders, all of whom have played their part in ensuring our Nations Cup top level status for next year,” said showjumping performance manager Di Lampard.

“The team includes a mix of horses from Utamaro d’Ecaussines, who has already proven himself at championship level, to a younger group of exceptionally talented horses who have also proven themselves on the world stage.

“We have had fantastic support from all of the owners as well, whom I am delighted to say will be joining us on our journey, and now we can’t wait to get out there and get on with the job in hand.”

William Funnell said that having competed at the 2013 Europeans on Billy Congo, where Britain won team gold, it is “very special” to be competing in another championships with Congo’s son.

“It’s nerve-racking because it’s an important year and the main thing we want to do is do a good job,” he added. “I think we’ve got a good team and we have every chance of doing well.”

Amanda said it was “fantastic” to be selected, and that the team is looking forward to the championships.

“This has been the aim at the back of our minds and she [Luibanta BH] has been really special,” she added. “At every team event she has been consistent and she has never let me down so hopefully we can carry that on. I think there’s a good mixture of personalities and there’s a great spirit within the team.”

William Whitaker agreed that WEG was his aim for this year.

“Utamaro has had a really good summer so far and he’s put in strong performances at the big competitions, which is what you need when there is a major championship on the horizon,” he said.

“I’ve not been to a championship in America but I have competed at a few shows out there and they’ve always been to a really high standard; I think they will put on a really good championship.”

Continues below…

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

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Bluffers’ guide to showjumping at WEG

H&H’s showjumping editor Jennifer Donald brings you all you need to know about the jumping competition at WEG

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Surprise omission from British World Equestrian Games eventing team

A strong team will be carrying British hopes in Tryon, although fans may be surprised by one name missing from

Holly said “Ted” has been in great form this year and that she is “anxious to do well”.

“I’ve had him just over a year and this is already a massive achievement,” she added.

“This will be the first time we’re heading out there, but I really trust in his ability and I think he has the scope to do well.”

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

William Whitaker & Di Lampard on Team GBR’s showjumping performances this year H&H VIP

Horse & Hound — Sat, 07 Oct 2017 07:55:25 +0000

William Whitaker

“After this year, it may seem like we’re a million miles away but we’re actually not — I’m full of confidence,” said William. “Di is doing a great job and Great Britain has always had some of the best riders in the world, so I think it’s just a matter of time before it clicks again and we’re away.

“We do just need a bit of luck now to get everything together on the right days. We’re back in division one, which was the main aim for this year, so if you look at it like that, we’ve achieved what was asked of us.”

Team performance manager, Di Lampard

“It’s a relief to get to the end of the season heading for division one — life in the second division of the Nations Cup was harder work than we thought it would be,” said Di. “We’ve always gone well as a team at the division two shows, but this year we finished third in the first round in Linz and that was where we peaked. Right through to Barcelona, we’ve had setbacks every time — Dublin was the only show where we competed with the team we originally intended to send.

“Every nation has its ups and downs, but we were so thin on the ground this year — we had 24 combinations and we gave every single one a chance. So one big disappointment is that nobody came out and shouted, ‘Look at me’. The door was open and that’s what the division two shows should have been about — but nobody fresh came through it.

“The positive is that we’ve got some very nice young horses, we’ve given them all some experience and WEG [World Equestrian Games] is now the target. Thank goodness we’ve been able to save them this year. We also have great owners, we just need many more new ones and for young riders to attract them, too.

“Most definitely we’ve had a disappointing end in Barcelona. The riders were gutted and asked: ‘What more can we do?’

“There’s plenty of homework to do but it’s time to regroup and look forward and we can at least make a clean start next year in division one. It’s the start of the Olympic cycle so that will put more guidelines on us but the aim is just to get qualified.”

Ref: Horse & Hound; 5 October 2017

William Whitaker produces the first clear on day two of European showjumping action

Hannah Lemieux — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 13:13:24 +0000

William Whitaker, Britain’s solo rider at the European Showjumping Championships, produced the first clear round during the second day of thrilling action in Gothenburg today (Thursday, 24 August).

Partnering Utamaro D’Ecaussines, the 28-year-old rider — who is making his debut at a senior championship — produced a flawless round early on to keep the pair on their score of 5.06 penalties after yesterday’s qualifying round.

“It was a tough course today — from the first fence to the last — the jumps were coming thick and fast at you and they were big, so I’m delighted with him,” said William.

“Now I just need to concentrate on tomorrow. He’s feeling fresh and was very well this morning when I took him out for exercise.

“The course has to be challenging, there are a lot of top riders and if it wasn’t tough they’d all just jump it with their eyes closed — it is the European Championships so that is what you have to expect,” he added.

“I was early to go today, so I didn’t have the luxury of watching other riders go — you get some feedback from riders at the ringside but I just had a plan of what to do that was best for him.”

Continued below…

More from the Europeans…

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Irish showjumpers in fourth and William Whitaker is solo Brit at the European Championships

Delight on day one for the Irish team at the European Showjumping Championships, while the Brits are reduced to one

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Britain down to one showjumper at European Championships

‘I knew he wasn’t right to jump him today so we had to withdraw — obviously I’m gutted’

It means William and ‘Uta’ now have two clear rounds in the bag going into tomorrow’s second day of the team competition, in which all the individual riders will compete. The 13-year-old stallion — who is an experienced championship horse with his previous rider Joe Clee — is certainly jumping out of his skin so far at these European Championships.

Ireland currently sit in fourth in the team standings and the first Irish rider in today’s team competition is Shane Sweetnam, who is 47^th to go.

Check out all the results from the 2017 European Championships here.

Don’t miss the full report from the dressage, para dressage and showjumping action from this week’s European Championships in Horse & Hound — including analysis, expert comments, pictures and more — on sale Thursday, 31 August.

Plus, keep up to date with all the latest news from the championships via horseandhound.co.uk and the H&H Facebook page

Irish showjumpers in fourth and William Whitaker is solo Brit at the European Championships

Hannah Lemieux — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 13:59:15 +0000

The Irish team kicked off their European Showjumping Championships campaign with a very promising start in today’s first qualifying competition (Wednesday, 23 August), sitting in fourth overnight.

The Swiss team, comprising Steve Guerdat, Martin Fuchs, Romain Duguet and Nadja Peter Steiner, lead the proceedings going into tomorrow’s first team round, ahead of France and Sweden respectively.

Shane Sweetnam finished best of the Irish quartet in eighth individually having produced a clear round in 79.89 seconds during today’s speed class aboard Chaqui Z.

Cian O’Connor (Good Luck) is close behind in 10th, while Denis Lynch and All Star 5 finished in 22^nd from the 80-strong field.

Bertram Allen was the discard score for the Irish, after his ride Hector Van D’Abdijhoeve uncharacteristically stopped at the oxer at six, going away from the arena entrance.

“My horse felt fresh and really enjoyed it in there — hopefully it puts us in good standing for the rest of the week. My plan was to be competitive and be in the top 10, which seemed to have worked out,” said Shane.

William Whitaker is now the solo British rider in Gothenburg after his uncle, Michael, withdrew Viking from the competition when the 15-year-old gelding didn’t feel “quite right” warming up.

Riding the experienced Utamaro D’Ecaussines, William produced a foot-perfect clear round. However, the pair ran two seconds over the 45 seconds allowed before crossing the start line, and their resulting time of 85.81 seconds pushed them down the leader board; they go into tomorrow’s competition sitting in 39^th. It could be an influential two seconds, considering the tight scoring system that sees the top 10 separated by a mere 2.25 penalties.

Continued below…

More from the Europeans…

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Britain down to one showjumper at European Championships

‘I knew he wasn’t right to jump him today so we had to withdraw — obviously I’m gutted’

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Suzanna Hext wins freestyle gold for Britain on the final day of the European Para Dressage Championships in Gothenburg

“Utamaro could not have jumped better today, he gave me everything. The course was challenging, but fair enough for the first day and that is what you expect when you come to a championship,” said William.

“We saw a few good horses do some uncharacteristic things — we jumped quite early on and it was bright in there so I don’t know if that is why. But I did take that into account and I let him have a look around before I started.”

Swedish rider Peder Fredricson delighted the home crowd by taking today’s individual honours on day one riding the 11-year-old gelding H&M All In.

The pair, therefore, head into tomorrow’s competition on a zero score. Germany’s Marcus Ehning (Pret A Tout) occupies the runner-up spot, with Portugal’s Luciana Diniz (Fit For Fun 13) in third.

The first round of the team competition kicks off tomorrow (Thursday, 24 August) at 1.30pm (12.30pm UK time) — all the individual competitors will also take part.

Plus, keep up to date with all the latest news from the championships via horseandhound.co.uk and the H&H Facebook page

No British showjumping team for European Championships

Eleanor Jones — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 16:08:38 +0000

There will be no British showjumping team at the 2017 European Championships (22-27 August), as the team focus is instead on the Nations Cup series.

Just two individuals, Michael Whitaker on his wife Melissa’s Viking and William Whitaker on Ludwig Criel’s Utamaro D’Ecaussines, will represent Britain in Gothenburg, a decision the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) admits is “unusual”.

BEF equestrian performance director Gordon Burton said: “Our selectors have chosen to send two individuals to the FEI Longines European Championships and focus our team activity on the Nations Cup series, to best achieve our goals for both 2017 and WEG 2018.

This decision has been made taking into account both available equine talent and our longer-term performance objectives.

“The selectors went through a robust process, based on performance data and discussions with athletes and owners from the nominated entries list. The selectors concluded that in this transitional period for showjumping, it is in the best longer-term interests of our less experienced equine athletes to take what we know is an unusual approach.

“Equine form is dynamic and we want to balance our championship and Nations Cup team delivery to best effect, while managing the exciting equine talent we have for the future.”

British Showjumping (BS) performance manager Di Lampard said it had not been an easy decision to make.

“We would be kidding ourselves to say that we have been satisfied with our Nations Cup team performances this year,” she added. “Like many sports, showjumping has changed massively in the past two years and we need to balance the individual objectives of riders alongside those of our national championship campaigns, especially in the first year of an Olympic cycle, which is always more of a transitional period.

“We’re starting to see some new and exciting combinations, alongside the more established riders who continue to support GB’s international campaign, which will give us greater strength and depth in the build-up to Tokyo.”

BS chief executive Iain Graham said BS “fully respects and supports the decision made by the selectors”.

(Image credit: Jon Stroud Media)

21 European Championship record breakers you might not believe are true

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He added: “We know that the decision wasn’t made lightly and understand that in-depth conversations were had with all stakeholders. Our focus is now on supporting the two senior riders heading out to the championships along with our youth riders and we wish them the very best of luck.”

Don’t miss next week’s H&H magazine (out 17 August) for a full preview of the European Championships.

A Whitaker quartet fly British flag in Nations Cup after withdrawal

Hannah Lemieux — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 11:29:28 +0000

A quartet of riders from the Whitaker dynasty make up the British team in this afternoon’s Longines FEI Nations Cup (Friday, 28 July) at the Royal International Horse Show, following the withdrawal of William Funnell’s Billy Buckingham.

The talented nine-year-old — winner of the Eindhoven Derby in May and sixth in the Al Shira’aa Derby last month — was pulled out from the team after being a “touch” lame yesterday.

He underwent a nerve block last night, which meant he couldn’t be ridden today. William, however, confirmed the horse is “okay” this morning.

Michael Whitaker will therefore be joined by his nephews William and Robert — the latter will partner the 14-year-old Catwalk IV.

Michael will ride the 15-year-old Viking, with whom he recently won the Bunn Leisure Derby Trial at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting.

William meanwhile rides his experienced championship horse, Utamaro D’Ecaussines, who he has ridden since September 2016.

Joe Clayton, Michael’s second cousin, has stepped in to replace William Funnell’s spot on the British team today and will partner Sarah Billington’s 10-year-old Con Man JX. The 27-year-old is based with Michael as his Nottinghamshire yard.

Di Lampard’s team will be hoping to score their first Nations Cup victory this season and improve on the disappointing British performance in Aachen last week, where the team racked up 54 penalties to finish lower down the scoreboard.

The British team last won the Nations Cup title at Hickstead in 2010, with a team comprising Tina Fletcher, William Funnell, Peter Charles and Michael Whitaker.

The Nations Cup kicks off at 2.15pm this afternoon (Friday, 28 July) and Britain faces tough opposition from teams including The Netherlands, Brazil, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain.

Don’t miss the full report from the Royal International Horse Show in Horse & Hound, on sale Thursday 3 August.

Bid for breakfast with Nick Skelton, plus other fantastic lots up for grabs

Sarah Radford — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 06:08:16 +0000

Breakfast with Nick Skelton and a lesson with William Whitaker are just two of the amazing lots on offer in an online charity auction hosted by Hickstead’s Daisy Bunn.

The fundraiser is in aid of the Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund and the Ella Popely Memorial Fund — established to remember the teenage showjumper who was killed in a car crash last December.

Bids have already opened online, with equestrian fans having until Tuesday, 18 April to secure one of the prize lots.

Top draw is the chance to spend the day behind-the-scenes at the yard of reigning Olympic gold medallist Nick Skelton. The experience includes breakfast, a private tour of his stables and the opportunity to meet the legendary stallion Big Star, who recently retired from international sport alongside his rider.

As an added bonus, the winning bidder will also be taken around Nick’s son Dan’s racing stables, finishing-up with a morning on the gallops watching the horses put through their paces.

A lesson and “Hickstead experience” with reigning Derby winner William Whitaker is also up for grabs, with bids opening at £500.

As well as an hour’s coaching with William at Shane Breen’s Hickstead yard, the top bidder can lay claim to a pair of members’ enclosure tickets for the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting on Thursday 22 June, 2017 and a coursewalk.

Three other top riders have also offered lesson slots — including Shane Breen, Trevor Breen and the USA’s Lauren Hough.

Carriage driving fans can also pick up top tips with a weekend of tuition from former national champion Claudia Bunn. This lot also includes two night’s bed and breakfast accommodation at Claudia’s period cottage near Ludlow.

“There are some superb lots up for grabs, with funds going to two extremely good causes that are both close to my heart,” said Daisy.

Continued below…

(Image credit: Jon Stroud Media)

Tributes paid to talented young showjumper killed in car crash

18-year-old British rider Ella Popely was involved in

(Image credit: Jon Stroud Media)

Nick Skelton and Big Star retire from showjumping

After more than four decades at the top

(Image credit: Jon Stroud Media)

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The auction is the second charity event organised in recent weeks by the Hickstead director, who hosted A Classically Equestrian Evening at Bush Hall in London, in March.

The evening was a sell out and was attended by famous names from the equestrian and media world, including Trevor Breen and William Whitaker, and ITN news anchor Alastair Stewart.

Tim Stockdale and William Whitaker’s top tips on how to jump clear

Jennifer Donald — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 16:25:34 +0000

We’ve teamed up with some of the country’s leading riders and asked them to share with you some exclusive tips, helping you to solve those common problems we all encounter over the coloured poles. Here, Tim Stockdale (pictured) and William Whitaker share some of their pearls of wisdom.

1. “Remember that speed does not show confidence, it shows anxiety. If your horse starts speeding up over fillers, take it back a step.”

Tim Stockdale reveals his thoughts on introducing young horses to fillers

2. “My dad used to say to me, ‘How can you see a stride if you’re not looking at the jump?’ So start looking ahead at your next fence the moment you land from the previous one.”

William Whitaker on improving your ability to see a stride.

2. “I tell my pupils to think of an oxer as a vertical with a back rail, which dulls down the rider-frightener effect of the oxer, and hopefully prevents the rider from over-riding and disrupting the rhythm.”

Tim Stockdale’s advice on approaching an oxer as opposed to a vertical on course

Continued below…

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

10 showjumping tips from Hickstead Derby winner Phillip Miller

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Horse & Hound question of the week: ‘How do I stop my horse rushing his fences?’

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3. “My groom Benoit videos all my rounds so I can watch them back afterwards. It’s a really useful tool being able to analyse your performance, as you can see if there are things you or your horse are doing wrong and correct them, such as being unbalanced or jumping to one side, which can all affect your horse’s ability to cleanly clear a fence.”

Even William Whitaker knows there’s always room for improvement!

The ultimate Whitaker quiz: have you got the legendary showjumping family sussed?

Madeleine Silver — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 12:17:19 +0000

You'd be excused for getting your Whitakers in a muddle from time to time. Britain's showjumping dynasty seems to be ever-expanding — as do their list of jumping accolades. Put yourself to the test with our quiz...

Don’t miss our exclusive interview with John and Michael Whitaker, in this week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine (17 November, 2016)

Meet the 2016 Hickstead Derby winner William Whitaker

Stephanie Bateman — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 15:05:40 +0000

Following William Whitaker's Hickstead Derby win this weekend (26 June) with the 13-year-old chestnut gelding Glenavadra Brilliant, find out what makes the 26-year-old tick — from his favourite TV show to his biggest indulgence

What do you like watching on TV?

Match of the Day, but I really enjoy watching all top-level sport. My favourite TV series is Breaking Bad.

What mistakes have you learnt from?

I remember going to Arena UK, which was about two hours from home, with six ponies and forgetting every morsel of tack. As you can imagine, my dad Ian wasn’t amused. I borrowed a saddle and bridle from my cousin Joe Clayton and used that on every pony.

I also remember when I tacked my horse up, jumped on and rode down to the arena. I was walking around talking to my brother Jim for 10 minutes when he asked, “Why haven’t you got a girth on?” All I can say is it’s a good job the horse didn’t buck.

What is your favourite show?

It has to be Olympia. It’s a great time of year, the crowds are amazing and all my family are there. The Liverpool International Horse Show made an amazing debut this year, too. It’s a great location and a must for next year.

How do you like to relax?

I like to spend time with the family, doing fun things with my kids Isabella and Oliver, like going to the zoo. We went on holiday to Tenerife in January and it was great playing on the beach in the sunshine.

What is your favourite city?

My favourite city is London. My fiancée Elisabeth and I have been down a few times as tourists and it’s great fun.

Who was your first pony?

Peter Pan was an extremely lazy 12.2hh. I once went to an RSPCA show wearing three-inch spurs and holding a big whip. At the ring, there was a sign saying “no spurs or sticks” and I didn’t get out of walk for the entire class.

What is your biggest indulgence?

Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream. I could eat a bucketful of it.

What is the best event after party you have been to?

The parties at the Glock Horse Performance Centre CSI3* show in Austria are amazing, and the food and entertainment are incredible.

What is your earliest horsey memory?

Going to Olympia when I was a kid and watching top riders, and then trying to copy them on my ponies in the field.

What is your money-saving secret?

Sell all your horses and take up golf.

Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:

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If you hadn’t been a showjumper, what would you have done?

I would have been a farmer. I have lived on a farm all my life and I enjoy doing jobs on the farm, especially in lambing season.

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HICKSTEAD DERBY ENTRIES

The Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby is at 2.45pm on Sunday 25 June. Horse & Hound will be bringing you all the stories online as they happen and in next week’s magazine, in the shops Thursday 29 June.

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The horse world must be brave and proactive as many do not support horse sport

The results were revealed at an event run by the charity on 14 June.

Mr Owers said one thing that has changed since last year’s survey is how media coverage has affected people’s confidence in horse welfare in sport.

Mr Owers said the survey was conducted in May, so coverage of Grand National protesters may have influenced this, but “this shows media coverage can change views”.

“He was much better, and that got the cogs turning about the other horses,” William said, adding that he has built large pens to allow turnout even when the fields are waterlogged.

“Do you ever stop learning with horses? Absolutely not. We want to be improving all the time, in everything we do, and the health and welfare of the horses is the top priority.”

A panel discussion followed, chaired by former H&H editor Lucy Higginson, with Olympic eventer Sam Griffths, British Horseracing Authority CEO Julie Harrington, racing presenter Rishi Persad, European Equestrian Federation president Theo Ploegmakers and equine vet Merry Smith.

Ms Harrington said: “Licensing and regulation should be seen as a good thing in terms of confidence in what’s happening at home in our sport, not just on the field of play.”

She added that she believes the work carried out on ensuring a good life for thoroughbreds from birth to death, and communication of this, is paying off, but that racing “isn’t resting on our laurels”.

“Can others learn from racing?” she asked. “Absolutely. But we’re keen to learn from other areas of equestrianism, too. We know what happens in an Olympic discipline can alter perception of racing, and vice versa.”

Ms Smith said she believes it would be “fantastic” for every professional yard to need a licence, with set standards and regulation, adding that although the paperwork could be seen as onerous, the positives could be proving to the public how well horses are cared for.

Mr Ploegmakers, who said the survey results reflect feelings in other countries, said he would support the idea of licensing, adding that equestrianism is one of the few industries largely free of such schemes.

“We can do anything,” he said. “But we have extra responsibility as we’re working with animals who aren’t protected. I would really support this.”

Sam said he was “a little hesitant” about the idea, owing to pressure it could put especially on those struggling to climb the ladder, but that he “wouldn’t be upset” if the FEI, for example, were to have the power to conduct spot checks of riders’ yards.

“I’m sure riders would be comfortable,” he said. “I think there’s a balance between regulation and almost forcing smaller people out of the sport.”

The idea of asking horses to participate in a risk sport was discussed. Improvements to obstacle safety in eventing and racing, and the extensive training for both horses and riders to ensure they are prepared were cited.

Sam added: “I genuinely feel the horses love it. I’ve finished courses and known they have absolutely loved going round.” The key is how to convey this to the public, especially when so few, only 2.3% of the population according to this survey, interact with horses.

“That’s a figure that chimed with me, that so few interact with horses,” Ms Harrington said. “People consume media through social media and if you’re not part of that life, you won’t get the positive stories. How do we break the bubble?”

There are positives, it was agreed. Equestrianism has a huge number of supporters, the conversation about social licence is growing and measures taken include racing’s independent Horse Welfare Board as well as the FEI’s equine ethics and well-being commission.

But Ms Smith warned that it can be easy to have discussions and feel the situation is not so bad: “We need to translate this into actions that will affect horse welfare in a positive way and share the positive stories with people who don’t really understand our industry.”

Ms Smith suggested more yard open days, and school and youth group visits, for example, as well as using the internet and social media to bring in more people.

“We really need to make the magic of horses something that’s for everyone,” she said.

Other measures discussed include defining what a good life for horses is, to help achieve this. Methods such as the ridden horse pain ethogram, a list of equine behaviours that can indicate pain or discomfort, could be used to show that horses are happy and comfortable in work.

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Nations Cup Final, JL Dublin’s first international run with new rider and more events to watch this week

1. Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final, Barcelona, Spain

2. Osberton Horse Trials, Nottinghamshire

3. Veteran Horse Society championships, Arena UK, Lincolnshire

4. Childeric Saddles Little Downham (3) and 4) Horse Trials, Cambridgeshire

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