Find Out More About The 5* Riders We Are Following At Mitusbushi Motors Badminton 2019
article sponsored by Le Jabot And Stock Company
With the first day of dressage Complete we thought we would let you know more about the riders we are following as they only do their dressage tomorrow
All images courtesy of Lucy Hall Photography and are subject to copyright
British-based New Zealander Andrew Nicholson (57) first completed Badminton 35-years ago in 1984. He has since completed the event a record 37 times and in 2017 claimed what had seemed an elusive win. With this year’s entry Swallow Springs he was third at Burghley 2018 – the horse’s first four-star event.
A six-time Olympian Andrew is based near Marlborough in Wiltshire and has lived in the UK for over thirty years. Considered the most prolific event rider ever, London 2012 was his sixth Olympic appearance (and seventh Olympic selection) where he won team bronze and finished in individual fourth place. In 1992 (Barcelona) he won Olympic team silver and in 1996 (Atlanta) team bronze. He won team gold at the 1990 WEG and in 2010 was a member of the NZ team that won bronze at the WEG in Lexington where he also won his first individual medal – bronze with Nereo. In 2014 with Nereo he was a member of the NZ team at the WEG and finished in 9th place.
He has won Burghley five times, 1995, 2000 and 2012.’13 &’14 (Avebury) and holds the record for the most Badminton completions (37). In 2013 he won the Lexington four-star (Quimbo), the Luhmuhlen four-star (Mr Cruise Control) and was first, second and seventh at Burghley with Avebury, Nereo and Calico Jo respectively. That year he was the winner of the HSBC Classics series and was British number one for a record 16th time.
In 2014 Andrew Nicholson re-wrote the Burghley history books when he won Burghley for the third successive year and on the same horse – Avebury, who is also the only horse to ever win back-to-back Burghley. In 2015 the combination also added a hat-trick of wins at Barbury Castle to their CV. A month later in August (2015), whilst competing at Gatcombe, Andrew suffered a fall at the final fence after which he was found to have sustained a serious neck injury. He spent eight hours in surgery but recuperated and recovered well; he was back in the saddle in December and began competing again in April 2016 and in June won the CCI3* at Bramham (Jet Set) and in August claimed his fourth consecutive CIC3* victory at Barbury Castle (Nereo) and in September was second at Burghley (Nereo) and at the end of the season was number two in the BE rider ranking.
The third of six children Andrew was brought up on a dairy farm in Kihikihi, North Island. After school Andrew joined his brother who was retraining racehorses and rode for local racehorse trainers. He came to England in 1980 aged 19 and his first job was grooming for Mark Todd and Southern Comfort at Badminton (who then won). Within four-years Andrew had two Badminton horses and was selected for the NZ team at the 1984 Olympic Games.
Andrew is married to Wiggy (nee Channer) and the couple has two children Zach and Lily. He also has two older children from his former marriage.
Swallow Springs, owned by Paul & Diana Ridgeon, is a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse grey gelding. Bred by Maria Keating his is by Chill Out (sire of Bonza King of Rouge) of a mare by the thoroughbred Cult Hero (sire of several four-star horses including The Deputy and Bay My Hero). He was acquired from Donal Barnwell as a five-year-old. Andrew formerly competed the full brother – Ghost Story – to intermediate level. Swallow Springs was third at Burghley in 2018 – the horses first four-star.
British-based Australian Bill Levett (56) last competed at Badminton in 2016. Last year with Badminton entry Lassban Diamond Lad he was a member of the Australian squad for the WEG (individual) and the pair was third in the Bramham CCI3*.
Australian born Bill, who is based near Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire where he runs his own yard, relocated to the UK in 1994. Although his parents were school teachers his father’s passion for horses meant that he and his four sisters were encouraged to ride. He helped break horses at a local station and after a year moved to work for former Australian international eventer Neale Lavis – winner of individual Olympic silver and team gold at the 1960 Olympic Games – then a racehorse trainer. At college in Victoria Bill studied Stud Management and returning to Neale’s yard worked his way up to Stud Manager and had the opportunity to try eventing. In 1988 he won a Range Rover Scholarship to Gatcombe Park and train with Mark Phillips and subsequently took a year off from the yard. In 1990 selected for the Australian squad for the WEG he returned to England with Mirabooka NJ a horse given to him by Neale. All of Bills’ own horses have the NJ suffix in recognition of Neale’s contribution to his career – NJ was his nickname. In 2014 Bill represented Australia at the WEG in France (Shannondale Titan) and in 2016 with Alexander NJ was selected as the travelling reserve for the 2016 Australian Olympic team – but had to withdraw Alexander NJ just prior to departure. 2019 is Bill’s 25thyear of competing in the UK.
Bill who trains with Gareth Hughes and Ros Morgan, is a BE accredited trainer. He met his wife Jenny, a self-employed strategy consultant, in 2001. The pair runs a 15 horse competition yard and has 14-year-old twins, Joshua and Ursula. Joshua competes in BE affiliated eventing while Ursula competes in international vaulting.
Lassban Diamond Lift, owned by Elizabeth Murdoch and rider, is an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. He is by the thoroughbred Easy Lift (a son of Chair Lift) out of Lassban Chow Bella by Diamond Chin (a son of Flagmount Diamond). He was acquired from the Monart sale and has been produced through the grades by Bill since a five-year-old. The pair was 3rd in the CCI3* at Bramham 2018.
It will be a first Badminton for British rider Tom Rowland (29) who is based near Cirencester in Gloucestershire where he runs his own yard. With Badminton entry Possible Mission Tom completed Burghley last year – he previously completed Pau in 2015 (Hennessy Cormac).
After leaving school in Tetbury, Tom spent two years with Angela Tucker followed by work experience with Pippa Funnell and Nigel Taylor. Aged 14 he acquired Hennessey Cormac who he produced through the grades and in 2015 Tom completed his first four-star with the horse at Pau. For six seasons he was based near Cheltenham and in 2017 moved to his current premises near Cirencester.
Tom is a self-confessed eventing geek – he claims to be able to list every winner of Badminton.
Tom trains with Pammy Hutton and Roland Fernyhough.
Possible Mission owned by Robin Patrick, is a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse
gelding. He is by the Clover Hill son Temple Clover out of Bahrain Supreme by Ricardo Z (sire of Sportsfield Othello, Fenyas Elegance, The Lion). Tom has ridden ‘Hunter’ since 2012. The pair completed its first four-star at Burghley 2018. Owner Robin Patrick previously owned four-star horses Just an Ace (Robert Lemieux, Mark Todd) and Ivor Mission.
First to dressage tomorrow out of these guys will be Andrew Nicholson at 10.10am quickly followed by Bill Levett at 10.26am then first timer Tom Rowland won’t dressage till 15.40pm so we will keep you posted on how they get on!
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