William wins Hickstead Derby!
Monday 30 June 2008
Yesterday afternoon in the beautiful Sussex sunshine William Funnell and Mondriaan battled against the worlds best derby combinations to win the gruelling British Show Jumping Derby for a second time at Hickstead.
At one point the competition looked as if it would climax with a six-rider jump off at eight faults as the gruelling course eluded a clear round. William was drawn 28th of 29 riders and when he produced a 4 fault round with a pole at the Devil’s Dyke many thought he had done enough to win the class. However Geoff Billington who was again riding Cassabachus who he won with last year, was not ready to hand over the £40,000 prize fund and also produced a 4 fault round to take them both into a very exciting and tense two horse jump off.
William was first to attack the jump off course and produced a fast but steady clear. This piled on the pressure for Geoff who raced against William’s time, but faulted for a second time at the rails as Cassabachus clipped the vertical rail for a second time, handing the win to William and Mondriaan.
“It's the competition I most wanted to win - Mondriaan deserves this, he's fantastic and he's never felt better. He knows when it's Derby Day and he raises his game,” William said of his 14-year-old former Great Britain team horse.
William has been training Mondriaan and aiming him all season towards this specific class, which they previously won together in 2006.
Like all of the horses ridden by William and Pippa Funnell Mondriaan is fed on Allen & Page Horse Feeds and is monitored and supported by the Allen & Page Nutrition Team. Allen & Page would like to send their congratulations to William and his team.
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