Whitaker among entries for Young Horse Championships

Robert Whitaker has enjoyed incredible success at the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead these past few seasons – and he’s hoping to continue this reign of dominance at this week’s Al Shira’aa British Young Horse Championships.

This year’s Al Shira’aa Derby and Al Shira’aa King George V Gold Cup winner is among entries for next week’s show, which takes place at Hickstead from 14-17 August.

It’s the second year the show has been held at Hickstead, and the first under the new title sponsorship of Al Shira’aa. “We are enormously grateful to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the founder of Al Shira’aa Stables, for stepping up their support of Hickstead this season to include the British Young Horse Championships,” said Hickstead Director Lizzie Bunn.

“The Sheikha is not only passionate about the development of showjumping in the United Arab Emirates, she also understands the importance of Britain’s showjumping heritage. She founded the breeding programme at Al Shira’aa Farms in order to produce top class sport horses, and this new sponsorship underlines her commitment to the breeding and production of future stars,” Lizzie adds.

Other top names competing at the show include Robert’s cousin George Whitaker, Trevor and Shane Breen, Antony Condon, David Simpson, Simon Crippen, Joe Clayton, Harriet Biddick and Laura Renwick. Laura is one of the main names to look out for, as she has had extremely good results at Hickstead this season with her young horses. William and Pippa Funnell will be well represented with their homebreds from the Billy Stud, as well as a strong contingent from the UAE including Al Shira'aa King George V Gold Cup runner-up, Omar Al Marzooqi, and last year's Prestige Italia British Six Year Old Champion, Humaid Al Muhairi.

The Championships boast a prize fund of more than £80,000, with qualifiers and finals for four-, five, six- and seven-year-old horses, as well as a 1.40m and 1.30m Grand Prix. There are additional prizes, sponsored by British Showjumping, for the breeders of the top five British Bred horses in their respective Finals, as well as bonuses for horses jumping clear throughout the week.

The Finals will also act as the UK qualifier for the World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Lanaken in September.

The show is open to spectators, with parking and admission free to everyone. With a select number of trade stands and food outlets, and shaded seating areas around the ringside, it's the perfect opportunity for equestrian fans to come down to the showground to spot some future equine stars.

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