Introduction
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,
Mr Smiffy in 2000,
Avebury in 2012, 2013 and 2014 consecutively.
After winning Burghley 2012 it set off a winning streak for Nicholson going on to win;
Pau 2012 with his Olympic mount Nereo,
Kentucky 2013 on four star debutant Quimbo &
Lumuhlen 2013 on Mr Cruise Control.
^ http://www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/eventing-team/index.html
^ http://www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/eventing-individual/index.html
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.