No more black for Andrew Nicholson - it's green seersucker all the way with Australia
Following ongoing and well-publicised difficulties with Equestrian Sports New Zealand, Andrew Nicholson has decided to ride for a near neighbour in the Antipodes, Australia.
Andrew has returned to competition in winning form recently and, although he admits that he doesn't assume that he will automatically be selected for the 2016 Rio team for Australia, he is hoping to wear one of the ‘sharply tailored green seersucker cotton blazers’ launched for the Australian team athletes on 30th March
“I especially like that it would have my name in the lining” commented Andrew “That way, no-one else can pretend it’s theirs”
For the Australia selectors it is obviously a coup to have the option of Olympic medallist Nicholson on the team and for Mike Etherington-Smith there is the added bonus of ensuring that Andrew will compete on Australian soil at the Australian International 3 Day Event, where Mike designs the cross country course. It is understood that there will be a clause written into Andrew’s contract whereby riding at the only CCI4* in the southern hemisphere would be compulsory
There is also the advantage of appeasing the International Olympic Committee’s recent push for equality in sports. As well as gender equality in sport, there are suggestions that the IOC is pushing for a stand against ‘ageism’ and sources close to Equestrian Australia have confirmed that they are looking to outdo their Asian neighbour Japan, a country that has fielded the oldest Olympian in the past
With the addition of Nicholson to their side, Australia could field the oldest eventing team at the Olympics in the near future with the base of the ‘dream team’ being Andrew Nicholson, Andrew Hoy, Bill Levett and Stuart Tinney. The rumours that the team would also include Mark Todd, who would also have to ride for Australia, are as yet unsubstantiated
It is believed that Andrew Nicholson will not take up residence in Australia, unlike William Fox-Pitt who was also contemplating moving to Australia as reported in our article on April 1st 2013
