- Stableexpress - Equestrian Events - Horse Shows- Royal International Horse Show - Hickstead

Royal International Horse Show - Hickstead

Dating back to 1907, Hickstead`s Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) welcomes the elite of many equestrian disciplines. There are competitions in everything from international show jumping and dressage to the very best of national showing.

One of the biggest outdoor shows in the country, the Longines Royal International Horse Show is a championship show exclusively for showing riders. It also offers the British public their only chance to see the national show-jumping team compete - the Nations Cup Competition sees the top ten countries in the world competing against each other.

The Official Horse Show of the British Horse Society. Hickstead is the long-standing host of the Longines Royal International Horse Show, one of the oldest shows in the world, which celebrated its centenary last year. One of the biggest outdoor shows in the country, the RIHS uniquely sees the elite of many equestrian disciplines compete side by side: it has everything from the thrills and spills of international showjumping, to the elegance and glamour of the country`s very best showing horses and ponies, to the exhilarating buzz of the country`s best eventers flying across country.

For showing riders the Longines Royal International Horse Show is exclusively a championship show, and is the culmination of many months of qualifications throughout the winter, with a host of prestigious classes for every breed of british horse and pony. The show also stages the peak of winter national showjumping qualifiers as the home to the BSJA Winter Finals. As well as this it is the British public`s only chance to see their national showjumping team compete, Nations Cup Competition, which sees the top ten countries in the world competing against each other for the greatest inter-nation showjumping prize.

The ability to evolve is key to the success and development of most good ideas, and it is that very attribute which leads the FEI Nations Cup™ into its second century. Back in 1909 when military teams first did battle in the arenas of both London`s Olympia and the outdoor San Sebastian showgrounds in Spain, it must have seemed the most natural thing in the world to pit countries against one another on horse-back. After all, the horse was still a vehicle of transportation for armies and civilians - how wonderful it is then that our equine partners continue to be treasured for their strength, athleticism, loyalty, character and competitiveness so many years later.

In the Arab world too the horse has always had a special place, so it comes as no surprise that, 101 years after it all began, this premier Jumping series is sponsored by a company whose Arabic name, Meydan, springs from the concept of a meeting place, an environment that encourages competition, co-operation, harmony and the promotion of the ideals of commercial and sporting excellence together with fair play.

Earlier this year the iconic new Meydan Racecourse, business and residential centres were officially opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The scale of the project is phenomenal, and already the breath-taking 1.2 kilometre-long grandstand which has capacity for 60,000 spectators and incorporates a 5-star hotel, marina, cinema, haute cuisine restaurants and museum, has led to many an intake of breath. As an entertainment centre it is second to none, as visitors from all around the globe can attest.

The sport of the Nations Cup has created plenty of excitement too down the years, and in last year`s inaugural season under the Meydan banner it certainly did not disappoint. The format is designed to ensure that only the best of the best go through to the following series, and this year teams from France, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America will line out in the summer-long battle for supremacy. Poland and Spain earned their places through promotion from the long, tough second-division series in 2009 and it will be a considerable challenge for them to maintain their status amongst the elite. However that is the test they have chosen for themselves, and the sport`s governing body, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), is delighted to welcome them into the fold.

The FEI was born in 1921, 13 years after the first Nations Cups were staged and, embracing the success and popularity of this exciting team competition from its infancy, has worked hard to ensure that it has remained one of the great showcases for equestrian sport. The decision to introduce a relegation/promotion system in 2003 proved a winner from the outset - not just with competitors, officials and horse-owners but also with the broader public who fill the grandstands of the most prestigious venues on the circuit. At La Baule, Rome, St Gallen, Rotterdam, Aachen, Falsterbo, Hickstead and in Dublin the roars of support from the sidelines are testament to the enduring legacy of those men who first lined out in uniform all those many years ago. Today, however, men and women compete as equals and represent their countries side-by-side.

The French are defending champions as the 2010 campaign gets underway but this is a country that knows all about the highs and lows of team sport, having been so dominant in the early years of the Samsung-sponsored series which preceded Meydan`s arrival only to fall victim to relegation at the end of 2006 and thus forced to face the long climb back to the top of the game. Their spirited return was firmly underlined by their tremendous 2009 success, and as the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup™ series evolves they will be determined to pick up where they left off.

However horses are unpredictable creatures, riders make mistakes, and the best in the world know that there is nothing certain until the last obstacle has been cleared and the applause has faded. This is the great challenge of the series which has long since taken its place among the elite tournaments on the international sporting calendar and which continues to delight, more than a century after it all began.

Meydan, developers of the largest equestrian venue in the world, take great pride in sponsoring the FEI Nations Cup. Indeed, there’s a natural affinity between the two organizations as they are both recognised throughout the equine world as zeniths of ambition and achievement.

As the world’s jumping elite gather to compete it is appropriate that we are involved because the word Meydan translates literally as a ‘meeting place’. A place where people get together to enjoy life and indulge in spirited competition.

It’s highly appropriate too that a company with so much involvement with the equine world, from the new Racecourse, to the Dubai Racing Club; from the Zabeel Feed Mill, to the Dubai Equestrian Centre, should become the principle sponsor of show-jumping’s premier team event.

This common interest and seamless equine bond is what drew Meydan to the FEI Nations Cup and why we were so readily accepted as the lead sponsorship partner. Together, we are aiming to bring the event to the widest possible audience, ensuring that show-jumping fans can enjoy every second of the action, while those who are new to the sport, experience it in all it’s glory.  1.35 Speed and handiness 2873
     2004) Ben Maher - Equineige des A.

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 1.40 Fasi cons. 7446
     2001) Geir Gulliksen - Gigolo

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 1.40 Speed and handiness 2695
     2006) Cian O´Connor - Zanoubia
     2005) McLain Ward - Goldika
     2002) Andrew Davies - Captain Wellington
     2002) Herve Godignon - Fandzi de St. Paul

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 1.40 Two phases 2661

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 1.45 Against the clock 2485
     2005) William Funnell - Cortaflex Tibor
     2004) Billy Twomey - Zerano III
     2003) Robert Whitaker - Karina
     2001) Michael Whitaker - First Samuel

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 1.45 Two phases 3415
     2005) Scott Smith - Cabri D`Elle
     2004) William Funnell - Machiavelli
     2003) - Cartier PSG

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 1.50 Against the clock 2486
     2005) McLain Ward - Oasis
     2004) Robert Smith - Marius Claudius

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 1.50 Speed and handiness 5358

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 1.50 Two rounds 3590

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 Against the clock 2606
     2000) Philippe Rozier - Dragée Verte
     2000) Robert Smith - Grand Cru
     1999) Marion Hughes - Vaor d’Isigny
     1999) Robert Smith - For the Best
     1998) - Heyman
     1998) Di Lampard - Equity
     1998) Marion Hughes - Vaor d’Isigny
     1998) Robert Smith - For the Best
     1998) Rodrigo Pessoa - Fidji du Fleury
     1996) Michel Robert - Airborne Montecillo
     1996) Stanny van Paesschen - Capricieux des Six Censes
     1995) Geoff Luckett - Vantage
     1995) John Renwick - Clover II
     1994) Geoff Luckett - Tout Espoir

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 Brighton Speed Stakes 966
     2000) - Hunters Level

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 Freshmans 15

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 Futurity Championship 434

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 GP 7939

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 GP 12988

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 GP1 8714

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 GP2 8571
     2007) Richard Barrett - Alcatraz

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 GP3 8710
     2007) Alex Van Silfhout - NIMBLY

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 GPKür 8147

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 GPKür2 8715
     2007) Alex Van Silfhout - NIMBLY

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 GPKür3 9008

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 GPSpecial 7938

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 GPSpecial1 8570
     2007) Alex Van Silfhout - NIMBLY

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 GPSpecial2 9007

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 Gran Premio Mista 7424

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 Grand Prix 2563
     2000) - Calvaro F.C.
     1999) - Welham
     1996) - Welham
     1995) Ulrich Kirchhoff - Jus De Pomme
     1993) Michael Whitaker - Midnight Madness
     1992) Jos Lansink - Egano
     1990) Nick Skelton - Apollo

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 Grand Prix Mixed comp. 2483
     2002) Meredith Michaels Beerbaum - Shutterfly (ex Struwwelpeter)
     2001) Kevin Babington - Carling King
     1986) Michael Whitaker - Warren Point
     1985) Nick Skelton - Apollo

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 Grand Prix Two rounds 2489
     2004) Nick Skelton - Russel

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 International Classic 906
     1995) William Funnell - Comex

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 July Stakes 1171

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 KGGC 3365
     2000) Cameron Hanley - Twilight (ex Sure Coin)
     1999) Nick Skelton - Hopes are High
     1998) Robert Smith - Mighty Blue

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 KGGC Mista 7417

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 KGGC Mixed comp. 3370

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 KGGC Two rounds 3054
     2003) Kevin Babington - Carling King
     2002) Ludger Beerbaum - Champion du Lys

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 King George V Cup 12777

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 King George V Gold Cup 304
     2006) Roger-Yves Bost - Ideal de la Loge
     2003) Kevin Babington - Carling King
     2000) Cameron Hanley - Ballaseyr Twilight
     1999) Nick Skelton - Hopes are High
     1995) Nick Skelton - Cathleen Three
     1984) Nick Skelton - St James
     1972) David Broome - Sportsman

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 Mixed comp. 2604
     1998) - Diamond Cliff
     1996) - Elanville

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 Nations Cup 831
     2006) - Peppermill
     2006) Michael Whitaker - Mozart Des Hayettes
     2006) Robert Smith - Marius Claudius
     2006) William Funnell - Cortaflex Mondriaan
     2004) Nick Skelton - Russel
     2004) Richard Davenport - Luc
     2004) Robert Smith - Marius Claudius
     2004) Robert Whitaker - Qualite
     2003) Nick Skelton - Arko III
     2003) Richard Davenport - Luc
     2003) Robert Smith - Mr Springfield
     2003) Scott Smith - Cabri D`Elle
     2000) Cameron Hanley - Twilight (ex Sure Coin)
     2000) Cian O´Connor - Waterford Crystal (ex Limbani K)
     2000) Kevin Babington - Carling King
     1999) Ludger Beerbaum - Champion du Lys
     1999) Ludger Beerbaum - Champion du Lys
     1999) Marcus Ehning - For Pleasure
     1999) Meredith Michaels Beerbaum - Sprehe Stella
     1998) Thierry Pomel - Thor Des Chaines
     1996) - Welham
     1996) Di Lampard - Abbervail Dream
     1996) Michael Whitaker - Midnight Madness
     1995) William Funnell - Comex
     1995) - Welham
     1995) William Funnell - Comex
     1993) Nick Skelton - Limited Edition
     1993) - Milton
     1993) David Broome - Lannegan
     1993) Michael Whitaker - Midnight Madness
     1993) Nick Skelton - Limited Edition
     1992) Nick Skelton - Limited Edition
     1991) Eric Navet - Quito De Baussy
     1991) Michel Robert - Nonix
     1986) Michel Robert - Lafayette
     1986) Philippe Rozier - Jiva
     1985) Nick Skelton - Apollo
     1985) - Hopscotch
     1985) Elizabeth Broome Edgar - Forever
     1985) Nick Skelton - Apollo

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 Nations Cup Team comp. 2660
     2002) Lars Nieberg - Adlantus AS
     2002) Ludger Beerbaum - Gladdys S
     2002) Meredith Michaels Beerbaum - Shutterfly (ex Struwwelpeter)
     2001) Cian O´Connor - Waterford Crystal (ex Limbani K)
     2001) Kevin Babington - Carling King
     2001) Peter Charles - Corrada III
     1988) Eric Navet - Narcos II

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 Nations Cup Team comp. - jo 2956
     2006) - Peppermill
     2006) Michael Whitaker - Mozart Des Hayettes
     2006) Robert Smith - Marius Claudius
     2006) William Funnell - Cortaflex Mondriaan
     2005) Ulrich Kirchhoff - Carino
     2004) Nick Skelton - Russel
     2004) Richard Davenport - Luc
     2004) Robert Smith - Mr Springfield
     2004) Robert Whitaker - Qualite
     2003) Nick Skelton - Arko III
     2003) Richard Davenport - Luc
     2003) Robert Smith - Mr Springfield
     2003) Scott Smith - Cabri D`Elle

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