The All England Jumping Ground at Hickstead has unveiled a huge new stabling complex which has been built by stabling experts Cheval Liberté as part of a £2million upgrade project.
The new complex includes 204 new stables housed within six barns, new hard standing areas, wash down bays, as well as new shower and toilet facilities for the riders. Click here for a video tour of the facilities.
“This project has been three years in the planning, during which we took the time to find the right contractors and the right designs, and now we’ve delivered what we’ve always wanted in terms of world-class facilities,” said showground manager William Bunn.
“It’s vital that Hickstead, as one of the leading showgrounds in the world, continues to compete with other venues in the sport, and this project is the latest in a series of investments we’ve made to improve the facilities including new all-weather arenas, a new grandstand, and improvements to our hospitality suites.”
Ready for use
The new facilities will be used during Hickstead’s main fixtures, the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting (19-22 June), which recently received a sponsorship boost, and the Agria Royal International Horse Show (22-27 July) as well as during the showground’s national shows and external shows, camps and clinics. They will allow Hickstead to offer more year-round camps, clinics and training sessions.
“It’s been a wonderful project to be involved in,” said Arwel Davies, head of Cheval Liberté UK. “We’ve been able to manufacture and install all the stabling in a matter of six months.
“I’ve been running Cheval Liberté UK for 20 years, and this project has been the pinnacle of my career. I’m very proud to have been able to provide the service that Hickstead required, and to deliver such a fantastic new facility.”
Images © All England Jumping Course, Hickstead and Elli Birch/Bootsandhooves.
