William Whitaker and Flamboyant III won the 2026 Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby after a two-horse jump-off against David Simpson and Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve.
William Whitaker ended a 10-year wait for a second Derby victory on 21 June with two clear rounds aboard the 16-year-old gelding Flamboyant III. The pair beat 2023 winners David Simpson and Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve in the decisive jump-off at the International Arena.
Thirty-one starters competed under clear skies, but most incurred faults. Simpson produced the first clear round in the initial phase before Whitaker matched it to force the jump-off. Simpson knocked the middle element of the Devil’s Dyke in the jump-off, finishing in 86.26 seconds and leaving Whitaker needing only a clear round.
Whitaker described the pressure and family advice before his round. Simpson noted that his horse felt strong despite losing the earlier luck with the poles. Hickstead director Edward Bunn praised the week’s competition, which featured more than 2,000 horses.
