Hickstead got off to a flying start with Olympic gold medallist Ben Maher winning the Hickstead Annual Grade C preliminary round riding Mr Bean.
The rider from Elsenham continued his great form following on from his history making appearance at the London Olympics, where he was part of Team GB winning gold.
Fellow team member Peter Charles is also competing at the All England Jumping Course in Sussex, as are former Olympians Tim Stockdale and Geoff Billington, who will be riding in the Derby on Sunday (June 23).
The Hickstead Derby attracts the best riders from far and wide as it is considered one of the world’s toughest showjumping competitions held. For all the news on the 2014 Hickstead Derby click here or keep checking the blog to keep updated.