HICKSTEAD DERBY MEETING 2026
Louise Anderbjörk
The Al Shira'aa Hickstead Derby Meeting is one of the defining weeks of the British showjumping calendar. Held over five days from 17–21 June, this year's meeting attracted record entries, with more than 2,000 horses jumping over 4,400 competition rounds across the week. With popular classes such as the British Speed Derby and the Hickstead Novice Championship spread across the week, the event ultimately culminates in the world-renowned Al Shira'aa Derby on the Sunday.
First held in 1961, the Derby has earned its place in the equestrian world as one of the sport's most demanding tests, unlike any other conventional Grand Prix. Stretching over 1,195 metres and featuring sixteen obstacles, it combines traditional showjumping fences with cross-country-inspired obstacles that riders very rarely encounter elsewhere. The infamous Devil's Dyke, with its three fences surrounding a water-filled ditch, and the towering Derby Bank have become iconic features of the course, making the class as recognisable to photographers as it is to riders.
On the morning of the 64th Hickstead Derby, the gates to the All England Jumping Course opened and riders, coaches, and the public were able to walk the Derby course. There is nothing like seeing these obstacles up close for understanding the sheer scale of them, and it quickly becomes evident why there has only been 70 clear rounds in all of the Derby’s history.
Photo: Louise Anderbjörk
However, with the Derby not due to begin until mid-afternoon, I spent the morning covering classes in the outer rings. These smaller arenas are often overlooked by spectators heading straight for the International Arena, but they provide an excellent opportunity to experiment creatively without the pressure of photographing the day's headline class. I found myself looking for different backgrounds, shooting through fences and trying lower camera angles to build a more varied portfolio than the standard side-on showjumping image.
After lunch, attention shifted towards the International Arena for the Doney Championship: the first class of the day to make use of several of the Derby fences. From a photographer’s point of view, this proved an ideal warm-up before the main event, and a good opportunity to get to know the scale of the course and the lighting environment of the showgrounds. We were also lucky with the course build in that a good number of fences were jumped in the same direction, facing a lovely shaded area under the judges balcony, where I could take cover from the impending heatwave and get some great shots of Britain’s Iwan Carpenter taking home the victory.
Photo: Louise Anderbjörk
Photo: Louise Anderbjörk
As soon as the price giving ceremony for the Doney Championship had cleared the ring, it was time to start preparing for the Derby coming up at 3pm. For me as a photographer, this meant walking around the perimeters of the arena with a course map and starting order in hand, mapping out the different positions to photograph the course from throughout the class. This is quite a unique challenge for an equestrian photographer, as you most commonly only stand in the one allocated media area during the full course, but with the scale of the Derby there is no way to cover the class properly without moving. So, I drew up a plan of starting on the opposite side of the course and making my way back ant-clockwise towards my key position for the Devil's Dyke shot and any finishing line celebrations ahead of the jump off.
The class itself more than lived up to expectations. Even if there was an incredible amount of talent and horsemanship on display, the fight for the clear rounds remained incredibly tough, and only two horse-and-rider combinations managed to add to the 70 that have previously jumped the course clear since 1961. These two riders were the former champion William Whitaker, riding Flamboyant III, and Ireland's David Simpson aboard Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve who both produced superb clear rounds, and secured themselves a jump-off for the win. Despite his 2016 title being on the line, Whitaker managed to hold his nerves to ride the only double-clear of the class, and claim the famous Boomerang Trophy for the second time.
Looking back, Hickstead is one of those events that reminds you why some competitions become legendary. The Derby delivers outstanding sport in its own right, but it is also a photographer's dream. Every obstacle has a story, every corner of the arena offers a different perspective, and the course itself produces images that couldn't be taken anywhere else. It's not always you leave an event feeling that both the sporting spectacle and the photography opportunities lived up to all your expectations, but the Hickstead Derby 2026 certainly did.
This article was first published in PRISMA’s online edition on the 8 July 2026.