The film featured in this post was taken at a showjumping event in the 1960s and I believe it took place at the world famous Hickstead showground.
I've identified the location as Hickstead because the paper envelope the film was in has pencil writing with the work 'Hickstead' faintly still visible. I assume this is the location, since Hickstead is famous as a showjumping event location, but it's possible this is a local event which the photographer referred to in a jocular fashion as 'Hickstead' with his family.
The film was shot on Kodachrome, Standard 8 film.
It seems odd to me that I find two films in a row which both cover horsey subjects - particularly since I'm not particularly interested in horsey events. However, the criteria for publishing films on Vintage Home Movies is not whether I find it particularly interesting or not - it's if others may find it interesting and since Hickstead hosts some very popular events, I decided it should be published. Although probably not of historical significance, it should still be available.
Hickstead showjumping film
The film shows a showjumping event taking place sometime in the 1960s. The stand behind the actual showground is not very full, so I suspect this wasn't a big, televised event, but more probably just a local event or possibly county level.
I've placed the date as the 1960s based on the pictures of the cars in the car park. It's possible to see that one of them, which looks like a Ford Zephyr mark IV which was introduced in 1966 and has an E plate. It turns out that registration letter was introduced in Jan 1967 and lasted until the end of July 1967, so the earliest this film could have been taken was 1967.
I found it interesting to see the sponsorship of the event was a tobacco company and that it was prominently displayed above the entrance to the showground. The link between cigarettes and ill health were discovered in the 1960s, but obviously at this point it was not considered a problem for tobacco manufacturers to advertise and sponsor public events.
