The Queen celebrates a platinum jubilee year win at Hickstead

Riding the five-year-old Sunbeam for The Queen, Jerram-Hunnable took top honours in the Supreme Coloured Horse Ridden Championship.

“It’s so lovely to have a win for the Queen in her Jubilee year,” said Jerram-Hunnable. “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.”

All set for a Diamond Derby.

Five-star showjumping returns to Hickstead.

Sunbeam is not the first Hickstead champion that Jerram-Hunnable has piloted for Her Majesty - the ex-racehorse Barbers Shop won here back 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 Jerram-Hunnable.

Sunbeam, whose mother Tiger Lily IX was evented by the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall, was born at the Hampton Court Stud farm, and Jerram-Hunnable first laid eyes on him as a youngster. From that moment she felt he had that little extra something that makes a top-class show horse.

“I thought he was absolutely lovely,” she added. “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 such as Hickstead’s, The Queen and Jerram-Hunnable hit upon a novel approach. “Normally, they come through their novice years and get stepped up to big shows like this, but these Covid babies haven’t seen a lot. But ‘Sunny’ was stabled on site for the Jubilee celebrations, so he heard a lot of the noise and crowds!”

Katie hopes to bring Sunbeam back to Hickstead for next month's Longines Royal International Horse Show, of which Her Majesty is the official patron.