German Holger Wulschner made Hickstead history by winning the first ever mixed King George V Gold Cup.

But the blue riband event at this year’s Royal International Horse Show was overshadowed by fears for the Sussex venue’s future standing in the showjumping calendar.

Hickstead’s famous horse show, widely seen as one of the highlights in the sport, is in danger of losing its prestigious Samsung Super League event from next year unless it can raise £250,000 in sponsorship.

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) is planning to reduce the number of European venues holding the Super League from eight to six and want each to provide money to keep it.

The competition involves the top eight showjumping nations and the best riders in the world.

Hickstead, which is the only British venue to host a Super League event, is now facing a race against time to come up with the cash.

The International Horse Show would survive if the Super League is lost but it would be a serious blow to its prestige as there would be a reduction in the number of international competitors taking part.

Daisy Bunn, sponsorship director and daughter of Hickstead owner Douglas, said: “It’s a nightmare.

“We have only got until the end of July to come up with the money. This is a battle not just to keep the Samsung Super League at Hickstead but to keep this one international competition in the country.

“With the London 2012 Olympics coming up, it seems ludicrous that the event which offers the best preparation for our team may be taken away.”

The King George V Gold Cup, the finale of the five-day show, was opened up to female riders for the first time in 97 years at the request of the FEI.

The move came following calls from overseas women riders dissatisfied with being excluded from the competition.

Wulschner, on Clausen, ensured a man’s name remained on the cup with clear rides in both the first round and seven-horse jump-off.

He had a quicker time than Belgian Pieter Devos on Equipharma Tekila D and Britain’s Geoff Billington on Rosinus, who both also went clear.

American Nicole Shahinian-Simpson and Sweden’s Helena Lundback became the first female riders to qualify for the jump-off before finishing sixth and seventh respectively.

Wulschner said: “This is the third time I have been to Hickstead and the first time for five years, so I am really pleased. I joked beforehand that the course looked easy and ended up winning it.”

Billington said: “I made one mistake which cost me probably a second but other than that I couldn’t have gone any faster.”

Sussex’s Charlotte Platt finished 26th after lowering two fences in the first round.

The 22-year-old from Henfield helped Britain clinch second place behind Germany in what may be the last Super League event on Friday after being the only rider to twice go clear.

The Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday was also made a mixed event this year for the first time since it started as a women-only competition in 1949.

The event is now national class open to the top 25 male and female riders on the international trial list.

Irishman Shane Breen became the first male rider to win it, giving his father-in-law Douglas Bunn something to celebrate amid the concern over the loss of the Samsung Super League.

Breen, 33, who is married to international showjumper Chloe Bunn, went clear in a four-horse jump off on Carmera Z, ahead of this year’s Hickstead derby winner William Funnell and Cortaflex Billy.

Breen is based in Hickstead but insists it was his horse rather than home advantage which helped him to victory.

He said: “I do not get to practice in the main arena, I’m not even allowed to walk on it.

“He (Carmera Z) is one of those horses who wins when you ask him to. I just point him at the fences and off he goes.”