Andrew Nicholson (born 1 August 1961 in Te Awamutu) is a New Zealand horseman who was selected for six Olympic Games.
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. He is infamous for his ride on Spinning Rhombus at Barcelona. With the New Zealand team having nine rails in hand to win the Gold medal his horse knocked down nine rails to drop New Zealand to second behind arch-rivals Australia.
Full Olympic record:
- 1984: Individual 28th on Kahlua; Team 6th
- 1992: Individual 16th on Spinning Rhombus; Team Silver
- 1996: Individual retired on Buckley Province; Team (on Jagermeister II) Bronze
- 2000: Selected but did not compete as horses were not fit
- 2004: Individual 61st; Team 5th
- 2008: Individual, eliminated in cross-country; Team 5th
On 17 June 2008 it was announced that Nicholson had been selected to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games. He and Mark Todd, whose selection was announced at the same time, will be the first New Zealanders to compete at six Olympic Games.
Nicholson's best individual results have been at Burghley which he has won twice; on Buckley Province in 1995 and on Mr Smiffy in 2000.
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.
