Hickstead: Showjumpers take tea with ‘The Queen of British Showjumping’
Teams from the world’s top showjumping nations had afternoon tea by Royal appointment when they met ‘The Queen of Showjumping’ in the grounds of Hickstead Place.
Showjumpers from Great Britain, Ireland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Spain, Brazil, Germany and France posed for a regal photoshoot ahead of Friday’s FEI Nations Cup leg at Hickstead showground.
While Her Majesty The Queen, who is the official patron of this week’s Longines Royal International Horse Show, was not in attendance, the photoshoot did feature one of the Queens of British showjumping – Liz Edgar.
Liz hails from showjumping’s Royal family – she is the wife of top rider Ted Edgar, and the sister of David Broome, one of the most successful riders in the history of the sport. Both Ted and David were winners of the Longines King George V Gold Cup, which has formed the finale to Hickstead’s international season every year since 1992.
Liz Edgar was one of the country’s top women riders for many years, and has won Hickstead’s iconic Queen Elizabeth II Cup more times than anyone else with five titles to her name. She may not be the Queen of England but she’s certainly the Queen of Hickstead – and she has the corgis to prove it.
Tickets for the Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead are available online or on the gate, while viewers can also watch the action live on Sky Sports or FEI TV.