Ricketts Promises "Major Effort" At RIHS

Tourmaline Rose campaigning for fourth Eventing Grand Prix win

British team manager Derek Ricketts is "going all out to win" the Nations Cup competition at this year's Golden Jubilee Royal International Horse Show (July 24-28) at the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead.

"No way am I going to use the Hickstead nations cup as a trial or try-out for the World Championships," he promises. "We'll pick the best riders and horses on merit and on current form - and go all out to win.

"I want to hear the National Anthem and see the Union Flag raised over the showground."

It will be his first foray into team management on home ground, although he was a member of the World Championship winning team in 1978 and a European
team Gold medallist in 1979, then riding the great Hydrophane Coldstream.

Invitations to compete at Hickstead have been sent to last year's winner, Ireland, together with France, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland.

But Derek will not be the only one looking for great results. Badminton winner - and European team and individual Gold medallist - Pippa Funnell will be campaigning the Eventing Grand Prix specialist The Tourmaline Rose for her fourth victory in the fifth running of the eventing/showjumping head-to-head The Eventing Grand Prix, where it is widely expected that Michael Whitaker, who has run her a very close second for the last two years, will also be competing.

This year's schedule shows some changes. The two single-sex classes, the King George V Gold Cup and the Hasseroeder Queen Elizabeth II Cup will be in the International Arena on Saturday, the Nations Cup will be on Thursday, the Eventing Grand Prix on Friday and the British Speed Grand Prix on Sunday together with the British Grand Prix (Gold-Zack Riders Tour).

The new look British Grand Prix breaks entirely new ground as the only round of the Gold-Zack Riders Tour being held outside Germany. Hickstead will be the fifth round of the Tour, for which riders in the top 30 of the World Ranking List and the leading 10 in the 2001 Riders Tour are automatically eligible for the qualifying round.

British riders qualified to compete for the duration of the Royal International Horse Show, and overseas Nations Cup team members competing at the show, will also be eligible to jump in the qualifying class on Friday. The best 30 riders in this qualifier go forward to the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Prize money for the ten final placings - to be announced at Munich in November - totals more than £417,000 and this year's winner will claim an impressive £158,000.

Showing classes, under the direction for the first time of showing director Roger Stack following the death of Dick Saunders, offer the usual list of prestigious horse and pony championships, together with one new addition. The Dick Saunders Supreme Ridden Pony Championship, sponsored by the British Horse Society, will be open to the champion show hunter pony, working hunter pony, show pony, first ridden, leading rein and supreme home produced champion. The BHS support comes as a direct result of a request from Her Majesty, The Queen - patron of the Royal International Horse Show and the Society - that in her Golden Jubilee year, young people should receive major patronage.

The BHS owns the RIHS, which is its annual flagship event, and the Society is supporting a number of classes, including the Horsemastership Trophy - for the best groom - the Supreme Ridden Horse Championship and the British Riding Clubs Team Jumping Championship, which always attracts massive entries from around the country.

More than 50 Golden Jubilee medals are to be provided by the BHS for each competitor in the Hasseroeder Queen Elizabeth II Cup, and the winners in the Riding Club Team Jumping, Supreme Ridden Pony and Horsemastership class.

Programme - International Arena
Wednesday, July 24

8.45 The Oakley Coachbuilders Winter Grade JC Championship
10.15 The easibed Winter Novice Championship
11.30 Presentation - The NFU Mutual Hackney Pony Championship
11.45 The Winter 138cms Championship
1.15 Presentation - The Sandal-BMW Supreme Show Hunter Pony Championship
1.30 The Winter 128cms Championship
3.00 Presentation - The NFU Mutual Hackney Horse Championship
3.30 The Refco International Stakes

Thursday, July 25

10.15 The easibed British Young Riders Championship
11.15 The Coyle Hamilton Chase
1.15 Course Walk, Samsung Nations Cup of Great Britain
1.30 Presentation - The South Essex Insurance Brokers Side Saddle Concours d
'Elegance
1.50 Presentation - The Supreme Hunter Championship
2.10 Parade of Teams in the Samsung Nations Cup of Great Britain
2.30 The Samsung Nations Cup of Great Britain

Friday, July 26

10.00 The Hickstead 1.30m Championship
11.00 The Osborne Refrigerators Stakes
1.05 Presentation - The Osborne Refrigerators Supreme Riding Horse
Championship
1.20 Presentation - The Supreme Working Hunter Championship
1.35 Final judging & presentation - The Animal Therapy Ridden Arabian
Championship
1.50 Presentation - The Thornton Supreme Amateur Riders Hunter Championship
2.05 Course Walk, Eventing Grand Prix
2.30 The Eventing Grand Prix

Saturday, July 27

11.00 Course Walk, Hasseroeder Queen Elizabeth II Cup
11.20 Presentation - The Dell Park Stud Supreme Hack Championship
11.35 The Hasseroeder Queen Elizabeth II Cup
1.35 The Osborne Refrigerators Double Harness Scurry Championship
2.15 Final judging & presentation - The Continental & North Eastern Tyres
Small Hunter Championship
2.30 Presentation - The BSPS British Elite Supreme Home Produced
Championship
2.45 Course Walk, King George V Gold Cup
3.00 The King George V Gold Cup

Sunday, July 28

10.00 The Osborne Refrigerators Winter Grade C Championship
11.15 Presentation - The Dorian Williams Trophy
11.20 Presentation - The British Horse Society Horsemastership Trophy
11.30 Course Walk, The British Grand Prix (Gold-Zack Riders Tour)
11.50 Presentation - The Surrey Envelopes Supreme Cob Championship
12.05 Presentation - The British Horse Society Costers Turnout Championship
12.20 Presentation: The British Horse Society Supreme Ridden Horse
Championship
12.45 Presentation: The "Royal Bronze" Supreme Show Pony Championship
1.00 The British Grand Prix (Gold-Zack Riders Tour)
3.00 Band of the Parachute Regiment
Course Walk, British Speed Grand Prix
3.20 Presentation - The Dick Saunders Supreme Ridden Pony Championship
3.45 The British Speed Grand Prix

http://www.hickstead.co.uk/RIhs.htm

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