Hickstead September Tour Concludes with William Funnell’s Victory
William Funnell and Billy Picador winning the All England Grand Prix (c) Boots and Hooves Photography
The Hickstead September Tour concluded on Sunday, September 8th, with a stunning triumph by William Funnell in the prestigious All England Grand Prix. Following a historic fifth win in the Al Shira’aa Derby earlier in the season, Funnell secured another major victory, this time riding his 12-year-old mare, Billy Picador, from the Billy Stud.
The final competition, initially set for the International Arena, was moved to the Equine America Ring Three due to heavy rain making conditions too challenging. Only nine of the 44 starters managed to complete the first round without faults, and the course had to be redesigned overnight by course designer Ben Townley to fit the new ring. Funnell made the most of his penultimate position in the jump-off, finishing with a time of 41.43 seconds, nearly two seconds faster than Alexander McLean and Calcord II, who completed the course in 43.29 seconds.
“It’s been a busy weekend as I was at Burghley with my wife, Pippa, and drove back late last night,” said Funnell. “She jumped a lovely first round and was very good to me in the jump-off. She’s a quick mare anyway and I didn’t need to take as much risk to the final fence but she got her backend out of the way – it was a good day.”
Matthew Pike and Calcord took second place, while Rebecca Burgess and Oilina finished in third.
For the complete September Tour results, you can check the official website here.
Alexander McLean, the rising Scottish star, may have missed out on the top spot in the main class, but he found consolation with a double win on the final day. He claimed victory in the Stoner Jewellers All England 1.20m Open Championship with Cumano Yeats and achieved a one-two finish in the All England Novice Championship, winning again with Cumano Yeats and placing second with Jip B, both owned by Matthew Pike. “We’ve only had him for less than two weeks, but he’s really game and fun, and gave a fantastic feeling today,” said McLean.
The All England 1.30m Open Classic went to Christina Gachoud with Balento CS, while the final class of the day, the All England 1m Open Championship, was won by Jodi Louise Randall and Heralda. On Saturday, the main class was the Douglas Bunn 1.35m Challenge, held in memory of the founder of the All England Jumping Course and featuring many of the Al Shira’aa Derby fences at a lower height. It was won for the second time by Abi Walters and Renkum Miretta, making them the first combination to win this class twice.
Another highlight of the weekend was Shane Breen’s double win, taking both the All England Seven Year Old Championship with Super Gold Van De Fruitkorf Z and the All England 1.30m Open Championship with Jicarla T. Super Gold Van De Fruitkorf Z is owned by Old Lodge and produced by Steven Franks, with Shane taking over the ride only a few weeks ago. “He’s extremely scopey and careful, and has serious potential to be a top Grand Prix jumper,” says Shane. Jicarla T, also owned by Old Lodge, is usually ridden by Shane’s brother, Trevor, who had been sidelined for months due to a severe spinal injury. “It’s possibly the last time I’ll ride her as Trevor is back in the saddle, so it’s nice to finish on a high with a win.”
Sorcha Gamble won the All England 1.10m Amateur Championship with RS My Sina VD Kalevallei, while the 1.20m Amateur Final went to Josh Kindell and Calanthe–Slot.
The September Tour at Hickstead wrapped up with a series of thrilling competitions and results, and there is much to look forward to with upcoming events such as the Sunshine Tour Unaffiliated Championships and the reopening of the cross-country facilities at the end of the month. The Christmas season promises more surprises and memorable moments.
Source: www.hickstead.co.uk
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