Royal International Horse Show (RIHS)

What a fabulous occasion the Agria Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) (21-26 July 2026) at Hickstead was. In the showjumping Britain triumphed in the Agria Nations Cup of Great Britain on Friday, Holly Smith made the trip to compete in just one class pay off when winning the JCL Insurance Brokers 2026 Queen Elizabeth II Cup with star stallion Fruselli, and Robert Whitaker brought the show to close with a fantastic third win on Equine America Vermento in the Agria King George V Gold Cup on Sunday.

Alongside the top-class showjumping, the best equine examples of their breeds and types competed to be crowned champion in their RIHS classes, with the best horses and ponies going forward to the prestigious Royal International supreme horse and Royal International supreme pony championships on Sunday. Top hack Boston Black Tie took the RIHS horse supreme, while show hunter pony Sutton Grange Fancy That was crowned overall supreme from the pony ranks. You can catch up with the all the RIHS showing news as it happened via our live reports service.

Horse & Hound’s team of expert equestrian journalists kept readers up to date with all the news throughout the six days of top-class action at the Royal International Horse Show. For unlimited access, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website now.

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Royal International Horse Show dates

The Royal International Horse Show took place from 21 to 26 July 2026 at the famous All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, Sussex.

Where is the Royal International Horse Show held?

The Royal International Horse Show has been held at the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead in West Sussex since 1992. The famous equestrian venue is also home to the Hickstead Derby meeting in June.

The Hickstead showground is located just off the A23, 15 miles south of Gatwick Airport, and 8 miles north of Brighton.

Royal International Horse Show timetable

Hickstead has multiple rings running throughout the show, but to give you a flavour of what visitors can look forward to, here are some of the highlights taking place in the international arena:

Wednesday 22 July

• The British Showjumping Winter Finals
• The Pure Bred Ridden Arabian Championship
• The Supreme Show Hunter Pony Championship
• The Young Riders M&M Supreme Championship

Thursday 23 July

• The Hickstead Amateur Championship
• The ClipMyHorse.TV Tankard
• The Royal International Salver
• The Royal International Vase
• The BSPS Heritage M&M Supreme Ridden
• The Supreme Hunter Championship
• The Eventers’ Challenge

Friday 24 July

• The ClipMyHorse.TV International Stakes
• The Supreme Riding Horse Championship
• The Supreme Working Hunter Championship
• The Agria Nations Cup of Great Britain

Saturday 25 July: Ladies Day

• The Royal International Trophy
• The Supreme Miniature Horse Championship
• The Supreme Hack Championship
• The Small Hunter Championship
• Double Harness Scurry Championship
• The Queen Elizabeth II Cup
• The Unex Group Speed Classic

Sunday 26 July

• The Supreme Cob Championship
• The Supreme Show Pony Championship
• The Supreme Ridden Horse Championship
• The Supreme Ridden Pony Championship
• The Al Shira’aa King George V Gold Cup

Royal International Horse Show history

The first International Horse Show was held at London’s Olympia on 7 June 1907 – making it the oldest horse show in Britain. At this stage the event was without its royal title.

After returning to the social calendar following the two World Wars, in 1947 the show moved out of central London to White City and it was organised by the newly formed British Horse Society.

The show received its Royal prefix in 1957 while at its White City home. It was briefly relocated to the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium for a couple of years in the late 60s, before briefly returning to the White City and then moving to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, where it remained until 1991.

The show moved to Hickstead under Douglas Bunn’s supervision in 1992, where it has been ever since. The show was cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but went ahead in 2021 with only national classes.

All the Royal International news: scroll down for showing