Christmas countdown: 13 days to go!

Peter Charles retains Hickstead Derby crown

The evening before he secured his second consecutive victory in the Bunn Leisure Hickstead Derby, Peter Charles said unoptimistically: “I’ve decided to give it a go.”With the crowd still cheering Robert Smith’s brave clear round with Mr Springfield, Peter rode in to execute a brilliant performance with 13-year-old Corrada.

The descent off the Bank is this mare’s biggest problem and she lurched off it from high up.

“When she did that, my new hat fell over my eyes and I couldn’t see a thing. She was marvellous. I sat still and she jumped the next fence without any help from me,” said Peter.

“I had no intention of going fast and if Robert had gone clear again, I would have waved the white flag and surrendered.”

Visit the site everyday from now until 25 December for some more memorable sporting moments of 2002

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