Countdown to RIHS

Top show jumpers from across the world are gearing up for the Royal International Horse Show (26 – 30 July) at the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, East Sussex. The British show jumping team will take on seven nations in the Samsung Super League competition and on the final day the coveted Longines King George V Gold Cup and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup will be contested by a line up of world class riders.

As usual, the contest for the Longines King George V Gold Cup and the Bunn Leisure Queen Elizabeth II Cup is destined to be a major highlight. The women’s title, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, was originally named the Princess Elizabeth Cup when it was presented to the show in 1949 as Elizabeth II had not yet become Queen. Britain’s top 20 lady riders and a select few from overseas are invited to participate in the competition. Iris Kellett first won the Cup while Liz Edgar has won the title four times.

John and Michael Whitaker will be vying for another King George V triumph, both having won the title three times already. However, the brothers are both some way short of David Broome, who has won the title a record six times, on six different horses. The King George V Cup was first presented in 1911 when the show received royal patronage. The cup was designed by Paul Montford for Garrards the jewellers and is only seen by the public at the RIHS and the British Horse Society Annual General Meeting.

In addition to this, the world’s top eight will be contesting Britain’s leg of the Samsung Super League Nations Cup series. Although the World Equestrian Games (WEG) is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, Britain’s Super League form has had both highs and lows so far this year. Derek Ricketts will choose his Hickstead team from John and Michael Whitaker, Tim Gredley, Robert Smith and DFS Derby hero William Funnell.

Olympic and World Champion Anky van Grunsven headlines the dressage, where an A-list team from the Netherlands will be up against Germany, Britain and France in the Nations Cup. Britain’s team includes Laura Bechtolsheimer (Douglas Dorsey), fellow WEG contender Wayne Channon (Lorenzo CH) and reserves Emile Faurie (Rascher Hopes) and Maria Eilberg (Two Sox). Other British talent includes Spencer Wilton, WEG team member Sandy Phillips and Henriette Andersen. Carl Hester will ride Da Vinci and Pro Set in the small tour. The action starts on Monday (24 July) and climaxes with Sunday’s kür. For information (tel: 01444 882150) or see www.dressageathickstead.com. Tickets ordered in advance include a free grandstand seat.

Hickstead will also be hosting an informal open forum in the Dick Saunders Pavilion at 5pm on Friday to discuss the challenges currently facing the showing community. There will be no agenda, minutes or off-limits subjects at the forum. “I hope people will see this as an opportunity to identify problems and hear the views of other people so we can get the best out of the sport — and our horses,” explains Hickstead showing director Roger Stack.

Eventing fans will fill the grandstand on Thursday for the annual Ford Ranger Eventing Grand Prix – a unique head-to-head between show jumpers and eventers. Five previous winners will all be contesting the coveted title including Rolex Grand Slam winner Pippa Funnell and Mark Kyle who won the competition last year. But the eventing contingent are to be challenged by a world-class line-up of show jumpers, determined to confirm their superiority. Michael and brother John have both been invited again and Ben Maher, winner of this year’s Speed Derby and 2005 double Derbies winner has also accepted his invitation. The competition, which requires competitors to negotiate a series of show jumps and cross-country obstacles, has only been won by one show jumper in its eight-year history – Michael Whitaker in 2003.

Don’t forget to visit Horse & Hound (trade stand number 75) where you can save up to 30% on a Horse & Hound subscription and get a free gift when you subscribe. You might even win a prize such as a Mirotec rug and leg wraps or a Harry Hall/ Masta voucher worth an impressive £500. Other prizes includes NET TEX products, a Brady bag, Spillers Treats, tubs of Biotal Equine Gold and bottles of Biotal BIOfresh and bags of SARACEN munchies.

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