Eight-year-old jumping 1.30 in April completes Hickstead Derby and ‘is going to win Dublin puissance’

An eight-year-old horse who jumped his first 1.30m class just two months ago completed his first Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby —and is going to win the puissance at this year’s Dublin Horse Show this year, his rider believes.

David Simpson and Tom Hedgecock’s Jumper Jack TS had 16 faults in the iconic class, which was also “Ranger’s” first attempt at 1.60m.

H&H reported that the 17.3hh Mylord Cathargo x Mr Blue gelding spent much of his six-year-old year in the field but he had just two fences down in Friday’s Derby qualifier then two more in the class itself, taking on the bank in copybook fashion and just lowering the first part of the devil’s dyke, the gate at fence four, the Derby rails and the last oxer.

“Tom’s been riding him and he brought him to me for a bit of training, and I thought I needed a puissance horse for Windsor,” David said. “He did amazingly in that, so the natural progression was the Hickstead Derby.”

David said for the horse’s first trip round the Derby, his goal was eight faults.

“He was a bit unlucky, and going into the devil’s dyke is always hard but he just rubbed it,” he said. “He’s very blood for a big horse and he’s so much scope. The goal is for Tom to ride him and I’ll just nick him for the odd big occasion. And he’ll win the puissance at Dublin; I’d be very confident of that.”

Tom’s mother Suse Martin-Turner, who was on photography duty in the International Arena today, handed over to a colleague for Ranger’s round.“He’s just such a lovely horse; he goes round with a smile on his face,” she said.

You might also be interested in:

‘It’s a fantastic feeling when you get it right’: 18hh gelding and puissance debutant share Royal Windsor spoils

‘He’s gone from zero to hero in six months’: gangly grey defies expectations to contest his first Hickstead Derby

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

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

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