Andrew Nicholson (equestrian)
For the Canadian basketball player with the same name see Andrew Nicholson (basketball)
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Competitor for  New Zealand
| ||
| Equestrian | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 1992 Barcelona | Team eventing |
| Bronze | 1996 Atlanta | Team eventing |
| Bronze | 2012 London | Team eventing |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 1990 Stockholm | Team eventing |
| Bronze | 2010 Lexington | Team eventing |
| Bronze | 2010 Lexington | Individual eventing |
Andrew Nicholson (born 1 August 1961 in Te Awamutu) is a New Zealand horseman who has competed at six Olympic Games (though selected for seven).
Nicholson's greatest success at international level has been in Three-Day Event Teams. He won a gold medal at the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, a silver at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and a Bronze at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Although becoming infamous for his ride on Spinning Rhombus at Barcelona. With the New Zealand team having seven rails in hand to win the Gold medal his horse knocked down nine rails, instead of withdrawing as any lesser rider would have, in a colossal display of selflessness and national pride he kept the New Zealand team intact (his withdrawal would have instantly eliminated the entire team by dropping completing member numbers below the minimum required) to scoop the silver medal behind arch-rivals Australia. Nicholson competed at the 2010 WEG (world equestrian games) and received a bronze medal.
Olympic record:
- 1984: Individual 28th on Kahlua; Team 6th
- 1992: Individual 16th on Spinning Rhombus; Team Silver
- 1996: Individual retired on Buckley Province;Team Bronze(on Jagermeister II)
- 2000: Selected but did not compete as horses were not fit
- 2004: Individual 61st on Fenicio;Team 5th
- 2008: Individual, eliminated in cross-country; Lord Killinghurst Team 5th
- 2012: Individual, 4th; Team Bronze Nereo
Nicholson and Mark Todd were the first New Zealanders to compete at six Olympic Games.
Nicholson's best individual results have been at Burghley which he has won five times; on Buckley Province in 1995, on Mr Smiffy in 2000, and on Avebury in 2012,2013 and 2014 consecetively. After winning Burghley 2012 it set off a winning streak for Nicholson going on to win Pau 2102 with his Olympic mount Nereo, Kentucky 2013 on four star debutant Quimbo and Lumuhlen 2013 on Mr Cruise Control.
Biography
Born and raised in the Waikato Nicholson moved to England in the 1980s to further his equestrian career. He currently works there as a horse trainer.
References
- ↑ http://www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/eventing-team/index.html
- ↑ http://www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/eventing-individual/index.html
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andrew Nicholson. |
- Biography at New Zealand Olympic Committee website