For the first time since 2010, Great Britain triumphed on home soil in a Longines FEI Nations Cup thriller at Hickstead on Friday (28 July). John Whitaker, who was competing in his 180th Nations Cup, summed up the historic victory at the Longines Royal International Horse Show by saying: “We had good vibes all week, we felt quietly confident.” The 68-year-old was joined on the winning squad by Harry Charles, Tim Gredley and Ben Maher. Chef d’equipe Di Lampard said: “I so wanted this, for these riders, and the squad behind them. I did shed a tear and I’m not normally like that – I wanted this so badly. This legend [John Whitaker] clinched it for us.”
Robert Whitaker and his father John Whitaker’s home-bred Vermento win the Longines King George V Gold Cup at the Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead on Sunday 30 July, 2023.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
What a week it’s been for the Whitaker family. The party had barely died down after Friday’s jubilant British Nations Cup celebrations before Jack Whitaker secured the first British individual five-star win of the week, which was also his first senior win in Hickstead’s main arena, when he headed a gripping 1.50m Royal International salver with Equine America Valmy De La Lande. Then Hickstead erupted with delight once again on Sunday afternoon (30 July) when Robert Whitaker proved a very worthy winner of the Longines King George V Gold Cup showjumping competition with the only double clear on a horse who was bred by his father John Whitaker. It doesn’t get much better than that in this sport, and the tears that flowed in the aftermath revealed just what it meant for both father and son, and everyone at Hickstead.
at The Longines Royal International Horse Show, The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead, Sussex, GBR. July 30th 2023
(Image credit: Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves)
Meanwhile in the Royal International’s showing classes, champion after champion was crowned, with only the best horses and ponies of their type coming forward to contest the supreme titles in the main arena on Sunday. Will Morton cemented his status as the next best thing in showing as he partnered Sarah-Ann Gunn’s exceptional lightweight hunter Kilcarna Brilliant to win his first-ever Barberstown Castle supreme ridden horse championship on a score of 29/30. In the pony ranks, the much-loved 143cm Beech Hall Ryan became one of the few working hunter ponies to ever secure top honours in the Supreme Products supreme pony championship with his 15-year-old rider Izzy Hartswood-Collier.
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Carol is an experienced journalist and editor, who is also a passionate amateur rider and dedicated horse owner, having ridden since childhood. She has a particular interest in the emotional well-being and ethical training of horses, alongside veterinary matters, having garnered extensive first-hand experience of numerous equine health conditions through more than 30 years of horse ownership.
