•    After Hickstead, France leads the Meydan FEI Nations Cup standings with 43.5 points over the United States (39.5) and Germany (36).

•    In four days of international jumping, U.S. riders did not make the cut in either the Queen Elizabeth or King George cups and managed only one major placing, in Thursday’s $27,086 Bunn Leisure Trophy. Beezie Madden and Crème Brule were long-time leaders of the 14-horse jump-off, but they were finally overtaken by Britain’s Geoff Luckett with Brickfield Boy. Luckett was the only rider aside from Madden to attempt a tricky inside line to the double combination.

•    Douglas Bunn is credited with inventing the hugely popular British sport of “team chasing.” Another of his innovations never migrated beyond Hickstead but always attracts 20,000 spectators. This is the Eventing Grand Prix, where eventers and show jumpers compete on equal terms over show jumping fences before jumping without a break into Bunn’s private grounds to tackle a knock-down cross-country course.

•    Gary Parsonage, who rode the fastest cross-country at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics but has not competed on a British team since 1998, has made this contest his own. Riding Peter Street, he equalled Pippa Funnell’s record of three wins.

•    Only two show jumping riders—Michael Whitaker and Shane Breen— have won this challenge, and Breen came close again, finishing third to brother Trevor, the Irish national champion. The Breens also both whip-in to Ireland’s legendary Scarteen hounds.