Suffragette to railings, smashed windows, set fire to postboxes and empty buildings, set bombs in order to damage churches and property, and faced anger and ridicule in the media. When imprisoned they went on hunger strike, to which the government responded by force-feeding them. The death of one suffragette, Emily Davison, when she ran in front of the king's horse at the 1913 Epsom Derby, made headlines around the world. The WSPU campaign had varying levels of support from within the suffragette movement; breakaway groups formed, and within the WSPU itself not all members supported the direct action. The suffragette campaign
Epsom Derby people attending the fair dwindled in the face of competition for attention and changing tastes, its length was reduced from 10 days to three or four. Investec became the sponsor of the Derby in 2009, and the current sponsorship deal runs until 2022. The race was previously backed by Ever Ready (1984–94) and Vodafone (1995–2008). Epsom Derby is also referenced in the recent popular BBC television series "Peaky Blinders", set in the 20th century. Leading jockey (9 wins): Leading trainer (7 wins): Leading owner (7 wins): Dams of two winners: Winning distances are shown in lengths or shorter (dh =