What is the earliest I can arrive?
Because these Championships take place just four days after the BHS Royal International Horse Show, no horses / ponies will be admitted to the showground before 10am on the Wednesday (gates close at 9pm and open again at 6.30am the following morning). As it is, this only allows us two days to clear up the Stable Field and muck out all of the stables!
Are forage & shavings available to buy on site?
Shavings will be available to buy from the Stable Manager: please ask at the Stable Manager’s Office at the entrance to the Stablefield when you arrive at Hickstead. Regrettably, feed, hay and haylage will not be available to buy on site, so please ensure you bring enough with you.
Is there somewhere I can exercise my horse / pony if I arrive the day before the competition?
Yes. You are permitted to exercise your horse and pony in either the Bunn Leisure Arena or the International warm-up arena (both all-weather). All grass arenas are strictly out of bounds.
Are tickets required for entry to the showground?
No, tickets are not required. Entrance is also free to the general public, so please do encourage friends and family to come along and watch (there's a fair, delicious ice cream and a few lovely shops, so it's a great day out).
Are there places to eat and drink on the showground?
On the day of the competition there will be catering outlets open serving a selection of hot and cold food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. You will also hear the jingle of our ice cream van! Please be aware that there will be no catering outlets open on the showground on the Wednesday.
Can I buy a memento?
Yes. We have a new and exciting range of merchandise featuring your team name. Don’t forget to get a copy of the programme to see yours and your pony’s name in print.
Are we required to qualify before we can enter?
Competitors in the Hickstead Elite NSEA Championship and teams in the Hickstead 1.00m NSEA Championship must qualify. Teams competing in the junior and senior school divisions are not required to pre-qualify in order to enter. Pony Club teams however are required to pre-qualify. Please contact Pony Club headquarters on +44 2476 698 300 for details of regional qualifying competitions.
How do we enter?
Both the schedules and entry forms are available to download from the Hickstead website. Please submit your entry form via post, signed and completed in full, to The Secretary, The All England Jumping Course, Hickstead, West Sussex, RH17 5NU. Regrettably, entries received on anything other than the correct entry form will be returned and we cannot accept entries made by telephone, fax, email or social media messaging.
Are we required to declare?
Yes, everyone must declare at the Show Office either in person or by telephone (01273 834315) on the day before their competition by 5.30pm. At the time of declaration you must please let us know of any horse or rider substitutions, and confirm the order in which each of your team members will jump if it is a team competition.
Is the order of starting drawn?
Yes, the drawn order will be published within the official show souvenir programme available for purchase on your arrival at Hickstead. Otherwise, you will be informed of the draw at the time of declaration. Alternatively you may telephone the show office from the Tuesday before the competition. Unfortunately we will not be able to take calls concerning this earlier than this, as we will be in the middle of the BHS Royal International Horse Show!
How many competitors are there per team?
All competitions are now open to teams of four competitors, allowing for one score to be discarded.
How many competitors are there per team in the Pony Club division?
The Pony Club division is open to teams of four competitors, with the three best scores in the team counting towards the overall team score (one drop score).
Can you compete as an individual in the National Schools Competitions?
Regrettably, you are not able to compete as an individual. Whilst individual prizes are awarded, the placings for this ‘individual’ competition are determined by each individual team member’s faults and time achieved in the team competition. Only those riders who qualify for the International Arena are eligible for individual awards.
