Hickstead, a small stallion with a huge heart, won over $1 million in career earnings. A combination of scope, power, technique, intelligence, and temperament was instrumental in his success. Hickstead won countless Grand Prix events worldwide.

Hickstead represented Canada in 10 Nations Cup classes worldwide, including silver medal performances at the 2008 Hong Kong Olympic Games and 2007 Pan American Games. Multiple second place finishes in 2008, producing double clear rounds at CSIO Spruce Meadows Masters, CSIO5* Lummen, and CSIO5* Wellington.

Hickstead was ranked the number one show jumping horse in the world by the World Breeding Federation of Sport Horses (WBFSH) based on his performance record. He was awarded Best Horse at the 2010 World Equestrian Games.

A Dutch Warmblood, Hickstead was 16 hands high and bay in color. He was born in the Netherlands (bred by Jan van Schijndel in Maren-Kessel) in 1996, by HAMLET.  During his career, he won more than $4 million CDN.

On November 6, 2011, at a competition in Verona, Italy, Hickstead collapsed shortly after finishing a round and died of an aortic rupture.  At the time, he was paired with Eric Lamaze, the number one rider in the world.  Lamaze had praised this horse in 2006:
“ He's a great horse and a very good competitor. He's got a great personality, and he's a fun horse to ride because I know him so well. He's feisty, he knows why he is out there, and he knows that knocking down a rail is not good! Some horses just don't get it.

''Hickstead really was a horse in a million and my heart goes out to Eric and everyone connected with this wonderful horse. This is a terrible loss, but Hickstead truly will never be forgotten. We were very lucky to have known him.''  ..Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, President of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports FEI