Donald Whitaker Wins the King George V Gold Cup at the Agria Royal International Horse Show
Hickstead, July 28, 2024 – With a breathtaking conclusion, the Agria Royal International Horse Show ended in high excitement and tight competition. The King George V Gold Cup provided one of the season’s most thrilling spectacles, with the top four riders separated by less than a second. On an all-British podium, it was a Whitaker who triumphed for the second year in a row, reaffirming the dominance of the Whitaker family.
Donald Whitaker, riding the grey mare Millfield Colette, claimed the title with an incredibly fast jump-off round. This victory follows that of his cousin Robert Whitaker, who won last year. The Whitaker dynasty once again proved their prowess at Hickstead, with John Whitaker, 68, having been part of the winning team in the Agria Nations Cup of Great Britain just two days earlier.
In the first round of this historic Grand Prix, John Whitaker was among the ten riders who completed a clear round. However, his hopes of securing a fourth King George title were dashed in the jump-off when he knocked down the first part of the combination at fence three. Brazilian rider Luciana Lossio, on Lady Louise Jmen, set the pace with a very fast clear round in 46.76 seconds.
Reigning Olympic champion Ben Maher, who already has a King George title from 2013 with Tripple X II, improved on Luciana‘s time, ensuring a British win. However, Donald Whitaker, with his 11-year-old mare, showed impressive speed in the first round and maintained a relentless pace in the jump-off, finishing in 46.12 seconds, just 0.1 seconds faster than Ben.
The last rider to enter Hickstead’s International Arena was Tim Gredley, Maher‘s teammate in the Nations Cup, riding Medoc Du Toxandria. He seemed poised to win but a pull before the last obstacle left him finishing in 46.26 seconds, just behind Ben.
King George V Gold Cup Podium
- Donald Whitaker on Millfield Colette – 46.12 seconds
- Ben Maher on Tripple X II – 46.76 seconds
- Tim Gredley on Medoc Du Toxandria – 46.26 seconds
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