Posted: 29th May 2014 | Back to news feed
Olympic and European gold medallists are among the country’s leading riders giving their support to an innovative new community campaign in the world of show jumping.
With the Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby Meeting just weeks away, many of the country’s top showjumpers are supporting the project to promote the Hickstead Derby Community.
The Hickstead Derby is part of the fabric of British showjumping. It is not only one of the most prestigious showjumping competitions in the world, but it has everything the British sporting audiences want to see.
It is thrilling, exciting, unpredictable and a real spectacle, showcasing all that is good within British sport. It teams fearless horses with brave riders, and even after more than 50 years, it remains the competition that every rider wants to win at least once.
Members of the Community get access to a host of fantastic benefits and become a sponsor of the Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby. Everyone who buys a Hickstead Derby Community polo shirt is also eligible to enter Equestrian.com’s ‘selfie’ competition, which is also taking the show jumping world by storm.
Three London Olympic gold medallists, Nick Skelton, Ben Maher and Peter Charles, have all won the Hickstead Derby, while Performance Manager Rob Hoekstra won the class in 1999 and the London 2012 travelling reserve Tina Fletcher took the title in 2011.
Iconic showjumping legends John Whitaker and Nick Skelton, as well as four-time Hickstead Derby winner Eddie Macken, have all lent their support to the campaign and posted ‘selfies’ of themselves wearing the polo shirt.
They have been joined by former Derby winners Ben Maher, William Funnell and last year’s hero Phillip Miller, as well as Sky Sports presenter and show jumper, James Fisher, William Whitaker and Nicole Pavitt, who have all got involved in the campaign which has grabbed the attention of the show jumping world.
Last year’s Hickstead Derby hero Phillip Miller said: “The Hickstead Derby Community is a fantastic idea and it is great that so many people are showing their commitment to the sport and to a concept which allows thousands of people to be part of the competition.”
Also backing the Hickstead Derby Community is top showjumper and Ariat Pro Rider Tina Fletcher, well known for her great partnership with Promised Land, with whom she won the Derby in 2011.
Tina starred in the official photo-shoot to launch the Hickstead Derby Community polo shirt and she is keen for show jumping fans from all over the world to get involved and experience a fantastic time at Hickstead from June 26 to 29 for the Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby Meeting.
The Hickstead Derby Community is one of the most innovative projects to have launched in the equestrian world for many years, as it allows thousands of show jumping fans and supporters to get involved in this iconic competition.
The Hickstead Derby Community polo shirt costs just £24.99 and comes with a host of other benefits, including a free Members’ Enclosure ticket for Thursday 26th June at the Equestrian.com Hickstead Derby Meeting, worth £26 if bought separately.
The polo shirt gives its wearer automatic entry into the Hickstead Derby Community VIP competition, where the winner will be part of the presentation ceremony at the 2014 Equestrian.com Derby and present the winner with the iconic Boomerang Trophy, live on Sky Sports, as part of a fantastic weekend away at Hickstead. The prize will include overnight accommodation, VIP hospitality and a Sky Sports tour.
Hickstead Derby Community members will also be entered into the Equestrian.com Derby Course Walk Competition, giving showjumping fans the chance to walk around the iconic course with a leading rider, who will share their insights, tactics and tips.
The Hickstead Derby Community eNewsletter contains regular articles, features and monthly special offers, including fantastic discounts and offers on products and days out. There’s also the chance to win money-off vouchers from Equestrian.com (a special competition for those spotted out and about in their Hickstead Derby Community polo shirts) and access to the Hickstead Derby Community hospitality area, while everyone who wears their shirt on the day of the Equestrian.com Derby will be invited to take part in a special commemorative photo.
Visit www.equestrian.com to buy your polo shirt and find out more about the Hickstead Derby Community.
Join a bevy of Olympic and European reigning gold medallists, previous Derby winners, and legends like the Whitakers and Eddie Macken, and send in your #hicksteadselfie tag both @equestriancom and @horseandhound.
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