Funnell flies to second Derby victory

William Funnell won his second Hickstead Derby yesterday aboard Cortaflex Mondrian after a thrilling jump-off with last year's winner Geoff Billington and Cassabachus.

The last two riders to jump in the first round, it looked like William's sole mistake at the Devil's Dyke would be good enough to win after a succession of eight fault totals were the best anyone else had achieved.

When Geoff cleared the Dyke (something William has never done) he looked as if he was home and dry but sadly for him he hit the Derby Rails in fairly spectacular fashion and the jump-off was on.

Earlier casualties of the world's most famous show jumping course included two Whitakers, when neither Michael (who had flown in that morning from Monte Carlo) nor Ellen could persuade their mounts to jump off the bank.

Other good rounds included William Whittaker who had just eight faults on each of his rides and was within a whisker of being the first four faulter until he made an uncharacteristic mistake at the last on Animator, which actually reduced the 18-year-old to tears.

Richard Robinson also made a good impression with his eight on Chaplin 43, which somewhat made up for his first ride on Oli Pop, who was eliminated after taking violent exception to jumping off the road crossing.

Results (29.06.08)

DFS Hickstead Derby

1º William Funnell (GBR) / Cortaflex Mondriaan / 4 / 0- 97.98s
2º Geoff Billington (GBR) / Cassabachus / 4 / 4 – 98.16
=3º William Whitaker (GBR) / Insul Tech Leonardo 590 / 8- 158.52
=3º William Whitaker (GBR) / Animation II / 8 -163.55
=3º Guy Williams (GBR) / Skip Two Ramiro / 8 -168.76
=3º Douglas Duffin (GBR) / Volcano / 8 -171.57
=3º Peter Smyth (IRL) / Polo Tomasi / 8 – 173.87
=3º Jan Motmans (BEL) / Quick Chin vd Elsendam / 8 -173.99