‘I want to be back at the top’: Olympic rider’s Hickstead winner is a ‘horse for a big occasion’

Medal-winning showjumper Holly Smith has her sights firmly set on a return to the top – and her new Hickstead grade C champion Nike van het Singraven could be one to help her get there.

Holly and her own seven-year-old gelding finished two seconds ahead of Robert Whitaker and Forrests Rose Gold at the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby meeting last week (18-22 June), to win a title Holly hopes will start the horse’s next chapter.

“This was his first time in the main arena here, and that’s just a testament to how great his brain is – he just goes in and does his job,” said Holly.

“He’s got an incredible brain, and the scope and speed as well; he’s got everything, in my opinion, and I love him to bits. He’s a real star of the future and the nicest, nicest animal.”

Holly has had the Andiamo Semilly gelding since he was five, and said she is very grateful to have “had a team of people come together to buy him so he can stay with me”.

“He’s proven that he’s a horse for a big occasion,” she said. “I always thought he was, but this just confirms it for me. I want to be back at the top level again, and this is a horse that doesn’t need to be leaving my yard.”

Holly represented Britain at the 2018 World Equestrian Games and the 2019 European Championships with Hearts Destiny, helping the team to bronze in 2019, and the Tokyo Olympics with Denver. She has been on top form recently; she picked up her ninth ticket to Horse of the Year Show 2025 by winning the Foxhunter second round with T J Hall Ltd’s Sing Z at the Weston Lawns Summer Spectacular (13-16 June).

Holly and the seven-year-old, who has also qualified for the grade C and talent seekers finals, finished 9.65sec ahead of Tatiane Mauree with her own Jantuscha, who jumped the only other triple clear of the class to finish second.

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Eleanor Jones

H&H news editor

Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.