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End of an era as Hickstead’s famous Irish bank is removed

Eleanor Jones Eleanor Jones

    • It is the “end of an era” as the famous Irish bank at Hickstead has been removed after 60 years as a permanent fixture.

    The All England Jumping Course revealed today (1 April) that the small bank – not to be confused with the Derby bank on the other side of the arena – has been “carefully removed after a period of consultation”. There was some confusion as the announcement was made on April Fools’ Day but Hickstead confirmed to H&H that it has gone.

    “It’s the end of an era as we say goodbye to the Irish bank,” said Hickstead executive director Lizzie Bunn. “It has been part of the Hickstead landscape for nearly 60 years but was in need of a complete rebuild at vast cost.

    “Because it was only used in two classes in the year, the decision was made, alongside our chief course-designer Kelvin Bywater, to remove the fence instead of reconstructing it.”

    The bank was only part of the British Speed Derby at the Derby meeting and the Ashby Underwriting Eventers’ Challenge at the Royal International Horse Show (RIHS). Its removal will give course-designers much more freedom, including allowing different lines to Hickstead’s open water.

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    The 5ft bank, which horses jumped on to and off, just before the treble of planks in the speed derby, was first used in competition at Hickstead in 1969, causing a “minor rebellion” as riders including David Broome and Harvey Smith refused to jump it. Marion Coakes cleared it with Daddy’s Girl and won the Ireland Stakes, a story that inspired a fictional incident at “Crittleden” in Jilly Cooper’s Riders.

    “You’ve got to introduce variety,” Douglas Bunn, the late founder of Hickstead, said at the time. “You cannot expect people to watch the same old thing time after time. There’s no question about it that when we put the Irish bank into a class here, you get a little round of applause when a horse does it nicely.”

    The bank was the scene of a memorable moment nearly three years ago when Harriet Biddick and Silver Lift, attempting to win a fourth speed derby, had a tack malfunction. After they landed from the bank, Silver Lift’s bridle slipped off, and the combination jumped all three planks without it.

    The bank will be replaced by a natural-looking hog’s back-style fence in the same position, for the speed derby; the rest of the course will be unchanged.

    “We know some riders and spectators will be sad to see the Irish bank gone, and it was a tricky decision for us to make,” Lizzie said. “But we do also hope the change will encourage more riders to take part in the British Speed Derby with their best speed horses, perhaps if they had avoided entering previously because they weren’t sure how their horses would jump it.”

    The speed derby will run on the penultimate day of the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting (18-21 June) and the eventers’ challenge on the Thursday of the RIHS ((21-26 July).

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    Eleanor Jones
    Eleanor Jones

    H&H news editor
    Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
    Eleanor Jones

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