Her Majesty The Queen has enjoyed a Jubilee win at Hickstead thanks to her five-year-old show horse Sunbeam, who took the top honours in the Supreme Coloured Horse Ridden Championship. Show producer Katie Jerram-Hunnable secured the win at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting at West Sussex’s All England Jumping Course on Sunday (26 June).
“It’s so lovely to have a win for the Queen in her Jubilee year,” said Katie. “He’s a homebred of hers, and he’s beautiful, but he’s only five, so it was a big ask. The Queen knows about the win, and she’s over the moon.”
Sunbeam is not the first Hickstead champion that Jerram-Hunnable has piloted for The Queen, with ex-racehorse Barbers Shop winning at the venue in 2013.
“I was thinking when I was in the ring that this was our first big chance since Barbers Shop to win another one for Her Majesty,” added Katie.
Sunbeam, whose mother Tiger Lily IX was evented by the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall, was born at the Hampton Court Stud farm. Katie knew he had what it took to make a top show horse.
“I thought he was absolutely lovely,” she said. “Then he was sent to me as a three-and-a-half year old, and we’ve had him ever since – but he’s what we’d call one of the ‘Covid babies’. He hasn’t seen a lot in life yet.”
To overcome Sunbeam’s lack of exposure to the atmosphere of major show rings, ‘Sunny’ was stabled on site for the Jubilee celebrations, so he heard a lot of the noise and crowds and got used to exciting surroundings.
Katie hopes to bring Sunbeam back to Hickstead for next month’s Longines Royal International Horse Show, of which The Queen is the official patron.
Photo credit: Elli Birch/Boots and Hooves Photography
