Andrew Nicholson says it’s ‘great to be back’ at Burghley

Andrew's stellar career saw him win all of the northern hemisphere's five-star events - Burghley, Badminton, Kentucky, Luhmuhlen and Pau - in addition to securing six Olympic and World Championship medals, representing New Zealand.

He carved a reputation as one of eventing's great cross-country riders, enjoying success on multiple horses, and all that expertise is now being harnessed in a coaching role with the Swiss national set-up.

Andrew advises Switzerland's leading eventers on every intricacy of cross-country riding and course management, and he has been a welcome visitor to Burghley this week, working closely with Swiss competitors Nadja Minder and Robin Godel.

"I used to love competing here, and it is great to come back," Andrew said. "It is very much about the terrain at Burghley, the constant undulating gently up and down and having to ride between the fences as much as over the fences. You have got to ride a little bit on the seat of your pants from the start to finish.

"Derek Di Grazia is a very clever designer, a very good horseman, and walking the course this year I feel the lines look a little smoother and more flowing.

"But in saying that, it could almost make it harder because sometimes when you are the rider and the horse, when it's all very smooth, you can get a little too casual and what was a smooth line and smooth distance, suddenly you get there too quickly. It is a proper Burghley test."

Andrew first won Burghley in 1995 with Buckley Province, then repeated the feat five years later on Mr Smiffy before the Avebury treble from 2012 to 2014. Only William Fox-Pitt has triumphed more times.

"Avebury used to make it feel so easy, like I was doing a demonstration," Andrew added. "And I remember with Mr Smiffy we had a bit of a bad distance at a fence and next minute I am up in the sky then sitting on his ears! For a moment I thought I had blown everything, and then I realised the horse was still underneath me, and we went on to win."

Avebury, owned by Rosemary and Mark Barlow, is forever remembered at Burghley with a prize awarded to the rider of the best cross-country round – and a restaurant named after him.

Andrew has been part of Switzerland's coaching team for the past seven years, and he is greatly enjoying the job, passing on his expertise and knowledge to a willing group of riders whose collective ability has already meant qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has been secured.

"It's funny how things come about, isn't it?" he said. "And the crazy thing is in my whole career I never had a cross-country lesson! I have got very into it, and they are a nice group of riders to work with.

"It is a different side to being the rider, but you are very invested in the ones you are coaching. We have some nice riders coming through and we are building more depth.

"For me, it is about giving riders the directions and then the confidence. They have got to have belief in me, and I've got to have the belief in them. It is about listening and communicating."