Show director Lizzie Bunn said: "We were absolutely thrilled with Tina's win, and after last year when she came so close, no one deserved it more."
The £500,000 redevelopment work also met with approval, with riders universally praising the going in the International Arena.
Gate takings were also up on 2010, with around 38,000 people attending the show in total - around 1,000 more than the previous year.
Trade in the shopping village was also brisk, with visitors flocking to the 200 tradestands.
Simon Gaskin, Trade Stand Director, commented: "General feedback from our exhibitors was that business was better than expected, with a good number of stands reporting their best show in years."
Another success of this year's event was the launch of the Hickstead app for iPhones and iPads - so far, nearly 2,000 users have downloaded the free app which delivered class results as well as essential information about the show.