Andrew Nicholson

Andrew Nicholson and Nereo at the Staircase during the cross-country phase of Badminton Horse Trials 2010.
Medal record
Equestrian
Representing  New Zealand
Olympic Games
	1992 Barcelona	Team eventing
	1996 Atlanta	Team eventing
	2012 London	Team eventing
World Championships
	1990 Stockholm	Team eventing
	2010 Lexington	Team eventing
	2010 Lexington	Individual eventing

Andrew Clifton Nicholson ONZM (born 1 August 1961 in Te Awamutu) is a New Zealand horseman who has competed at six Olympic Games (though selected for seven). 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.

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.

In the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours, Nicholson was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to equestrian sport.^[1]

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.

He also won Badminton Horse Trials with Nereo in 2017, after 36 completions.

CCI 5* Results

Results
Event	Kentucky	Badminton	Luhmühlen	Burghley	Pau	Adelaide
1995		13th (Jagermeister II) RET (Spinning Rhombus)		(Buckley Province)
1996		8th (Buckley Province) 12th (Cartoon II)
1997		32nd (Cartoon II)
1998		14th (Cartoon II) 40th (Jagermeister II)		(Hinnegar) 8th (Merillion)
1999	did not participate
2000				(Mr Smiffy)
2001	did not participate
2002		9th (New York) 10th (Mr Smiffy)
2003		11th (Fenicio) 13th (Mr Smiffy)		(Lord Killinghurst)
2004		(Lord Killinghurst) 22nd (Flush Banker)		(Lord Killinghurst) 16th (Mr Smiffy)
2005		5th (Lord Killinghurst) EL (Fenicio)	14th (Duddles)	(Lord Killinghurst) 8th (Duddles)
2006		14th (Lord Killinghurst)		13th (Henry Tankerville)
2007		5th (Lord Killinghurst) 8th (Henry Tankerville)		4th (Lord Killinghurst) RET (Silbury Hill)	6th (Ginger May Killinghurst)
2008		RET (Armada) RET (Silbury Hill)		8th (Armada) RET (Muschamp Impala)	4th (Henry Tankerville) EL (Muschamp Impala)
2009		23rd (Armada)		21st (Armada) EL (Nereo)	13th (Armada) EL (Avebury)
2010		11th (Nereo) 27th (Avebury)	4th (Mr Cruise Control) 10th (Armada)	14th (Armada) 22nd (Avebury)	9th (Mr Cruise Control)
2011		10th (Avebury) 12th (Nereo)	10th (Armada) 14th (Mr Cruise Control)	(Nereo) 8th (Avebury)	(Mr Cruise Control) 23rd (Armada) RET (Henry Tankerville)
2012	7th (Qwanza) RET (Calico Joe)		4th (Calico Joe) 21st (Shady Grey) 26th (Mr Cruise Control)	(Avebury) 13th (Calico Joe)	(Nereo) 7th (Mr Cruise Control)	,
2013	(Quimbo) (Calico Joe)	(Nereo) 11th (Avebury)	(Mr Cruise Control) 6th (Rathmoyle King) EL (Qwanza)	(Avebury) (Nereo) 7th (Calico Joe)	5th (Mr Cruise Control) 26th (Quimbo) RET (Viscount George)
2014	21st (Avebury)	RET (Quimbo) EL (Nereo)		(Avebury)
2015		6th (Nereo) 22nd (Calico Joe)	22nd (Qwanza)
2016			5th (Qwanza) 7th (Perfect Stranger)	(Nereo)
2017		(Nereo) 12th (Qwanza)	19th (Teseo)	8th (Nereo) EL (Qwanza)	RET (Qwanza) EL (Jet Set)
2018		WD (Nereo)		(Swallow Springs) WD (Jet Set)
2019		4th (Swallow Springs)
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

International Championship Results

Results
Year	Event	Horse	Placing	Notes
1984	Olympic Games	Kahlua	6th	Team
			28th	Individual
1990	World Equestrian Games	Spinning Rhombus		Team
			4th	Individual
1992	Olympic Games	Spinning Rhombus		Team
			16th	Individual
1994	World Equestrian Games	Jager Meister	6th	Team
			48th	Individual
1996	Olympic Games	Jager Meister		Team
		Buckley Province	EL	Individual
1998	World Equestrian Games	New York	5th	Individual
2002	World Equestrian Games	Fenicio	5th	Team
			9th	Individual
2003	World Cup Final	Fenicio
2003	Asian Pacific Games	Duddles		Team
			9th	Individual
2004	World Cup Final	Flush Banker	14th
2004	Olympic Games	Fenicio	5th	Team
			60th	Individual
2006	World Young Horse Championships	Armada	23rd	CCI**
2006	World Equestrian Games	Lord Killinghurst	6th	Team
			23rd	Individual
2007	World Young Horse Championships	Mr Cruise Control	4th	CCI*
		Avebury	4th	CCI**
		Nereo	41st	CCI**
2008	World Young Horse Championships	Tristar II	7th	CCI*
		Mr Cruise Control	11th	CCI**
2008	World Cup Final	Henry Tankerville	26th
2008	Olympic Games	Lord Killinghurst	5th	Team
			EL	Individual
2009	World Young Horse Championships	Qwanza	6th	CCI*
		Tristar II	14th	CCI**
2010	World Young Horse Championships	Quimbo		CCI**
		Qwanza	16th	CCI**
2010	World Equestrian Games	Nereo		Team
				Individual
2012	Olympic Games	Nereo		Team
			4th	Individual
2013	World Young Horse Championships	Jet Set		CCI*
		Tilikum	13th	CCI**
2014	World Young Horse Championships	Swallow Springs	9th	CCI*
		Jet Set	6th	CCI**
2014	World Equestrian Games	Nereo	14th	Team
			8th	Individual
2017	World Young Horse Championships	As Is	7th	CCI*
		Yacabo BK		CCI**
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew