Woman wins Hickstead Derby

Tina Fletcher on Promised Land PIC via Horse and Country

The CarpetRight Derby at Hickstead has been won by a woman rider for only the second time in the competition's 50-year history. And Tina Fletcher's horse's name? Promised Land.

Fletcher (UK) came second in 1991 and last year just lost out in the jump-off stages. Riding the same horse again, things went better for them. Interviewed for Horse and Country she said: "“You have to sit as quiet as a mouse on him. He lives in a field at home. I hardly ride him, he just hacks out. Graham bought him and I actually said to him, ‘I don’t know why you’re keeping that horse, he’s a lunatic’.” Only after Graham broke his shoulder was PL passed on to Tina, a lucky break? (sorry)

This is Fletcher speaking to H&C