Nicola Wilson

For the cricket coach and former international cricketer now known as Nicola Wilson, see Nicola Payne (cricketer).

Nicola Wilson
Wilson and Opposition Buzz competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
Personal information
Birth nameNicola Tweddle
NationalityEnglish
BornDarlington, County Durham, England
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Sport
Country United Kingdom
SportEquestrian
Medal record
Equestrian
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Team Eventing
World Equestrian Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Kentucky Team Eventing
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Fontainebleau Team eventing
Gold medal – first place 2017 Strzegom Team eventing
Gold medal – first place 2021 Avenches Team eventing
Gold medal – first place 2021 Avenches Individual eventing
Silver medal – second place 2015 Blair Castle Team eventing
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Luhmühlen Team eventing
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Strzegom Individual eventing

Nicola Wilson (née Tweddle,[1] born 1 October 1976)[2] is a British equestrian rider specialising in three-day eventing. Riding Opposition Buzz, she won a team gold at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games and team silver at the 2012 Olympic Games. She is also a seven-time medallist at the European Championships, including team golds in 2009, 2017 and 2021 and individual gold and bronze in 2021 and 2017, respectively.

Early life

Born in Darlington, Wilson was given her first pony when she was three years old and later joined Hurworth Pony Club, where she competed in various pony club events and later became a member of the Bedale Hunt.[3][4] Wilson studied for a degree in Sport and Business Management at Manchester University, and graduated with a 2:1 in 1999.[3]

Career

Wilson first competed internationally at the 1997 Young Rider European Championships, where she rode Mr Bumble.[3][1] Riding the same horse she finished in 10th place at the 2008 Burghley Horse Trials.[1] In 2007, she began competing on Opposition Buzz, a horse owned by Rosemary Search.[1]

She won a gold medal as part of the British eventing team at the 2009 European Eventing Championships in Fontainebleau, France; she finished ninth in the individual event with 64.7 faults.[5] Alongside William Fox-Pitt, Mary King and Tina Cook, Wilson was part of the British team that won the team eventing gold medal at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, United States; Wilson rode a clear round in the show jumping meaning teammate, and individual silver medallist Fox-Pitt could have afforded three fences down and Britain would still have won team gold.[6] Wilson and Opposition Buzz finished 16th overall in the individual competition.[6]

At the 2011 Badminton Horse Trials, Wilson, riding Opposition Buzz, was the leading British rider, and in third place overall, heading into the last day of competition.[7] During the show jumping phase she knocked down a fence and eventually finished seventh in a competition won by Mark Todd.[8] She won a bronze medal at the 2011 European Eventing Championships as the British side finished behind Germany and France.[9]

Wilson was initially selected as a reserve rider for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics but was added to the squad for the individual and team eventing when Piggy French withdrew after her horse DHI Topper W suffered an injury.[10][11] Wilson's horse for the Games was Opposition Buzz.[10] The events were held at Greenwich Park between 28 and 31 July.[12]

CCI 5* Results

Results
Event Kentucky Badminton Luhmühlen Burghley Pau Adelaide
2003 27th (Skiver)
2004 20th (Skiver)
2005 RET (Skiver) 9th (Skiver) WD (Skiver)

WD (Highland Loch II)

2006 Did not participate
2007 16th (Opposition Buzz) 15th (Opposition Buzz)
2008 7th (Opposition Buzz) 5th (Opposition Buzz)
2009 11th (Opposition Buzz) EL (Oingy Boingy)
2010 8th (Opposition Buzz) 30th (Master Banks)
2011 7th (Opposition Buzz)RET (Bee Diplomatic) 18th (Bee Diplomatic)
2012 Did not participate
2013 30th (Opposition Buzz) EL (Opposition Buzz) 10th (Opposition Buzz)
2014 WD (Beltane Queen)WD (Annie Clover) 8th (One Two Many)
2015 8th (Annie Clover)26th (Watermill Vision) 7th (One Two Many)19th (Beltane Queen) EL (Annie Clover)
2016 RET (One Two Many) 4th (One Two Many)8th (Annie Clover)
2017 RET (Annie Clover) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) (Bulana)
2018 RET (Bulana)
2019 21st (Bulana)
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

International Championship results

Results
Year Event Horse Placing Notes
2009 European Championships Opposition Buzz 1st place, gold medalist(s) Team
9th Individual
2010 World Young Horse Championships Annie Clover 2nd place, silver medalist(s) CCI*
Inde 23rd CCI**
2010 World Equestrian Games Opposition Buzz 1st place, gold medalist(s) Team
15th Individual
2011 World Young Horse Championships Annie Clover 5th CCI**
2011 European Championships Opposition Buzz 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Team
16th Individual
2012 Olympic Games Opposition Buzz 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Team
28th Individual
2014 World Equestrian Games Annie Clover 24th Individual
2015 European Championships One Two Many 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Team
27th Individual
2017 European Championships Bulana 1st place, gold medalist(s) Team
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Individual
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

Notable horses

  • Opposition Buzz - 1997 Dark Bay Trakehner Cross Gelding (Fleetwater Opposition x Java Tiger)
    • 2009 European Championships - Team Gold Medal, Individual Ninth Place
    • 2010 World Equestrian Games - Team Gold Medal, Individual 15th Place
    • 2011 European Championships - Team Bronze Medal, Individual 16th Place
    • 2012 London Olympics - Team Silver Medal, Individual 28th Place
  • Annie Clover - 2004 Brown Irish Sport Horse Mare (Newmarket Venture x Clover Hill)
    • 2014 World Equestrian Games - Individual 24th Place
  • One Two Many - 2002 Bay Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Chacoa x Colin Diamond)
    • 2015 European Championships - Team Silver Medal, Individual 27th Place
  • Bulana - 2006 Black Dutch Warmblood Mare (Tygo x Furore)
    • 2017 European Championships - Team Gold Medal, Individual Bronze Medal

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Nicola Wilson, British event rider". Horse and Hound. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Nicola wilson". Team GB. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Nicola Wilson: Team GB". British Olympic Association. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Nicola Wilson". The Telegraph online. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  5. ^ Greenwood-Hughes, Lizzie (27 September 2009). "Double gold for Britain's riders". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  6. ^ a b "William Fox-Pitt leads Britain to World Equestrian gold". BBC Sport. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  7. ^ Williams, Ollie (24 April 2011). "Badminton Horse Trials: Mark Todd promoted to lead". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  8. ^ Phillips, Carole (25 April 2011). "Mark Todd wins Badminton Horse Trials 2011". Horse and Hound. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Britain miss out to Germany and France at Euro Eventing". BBC Sport. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  10. ^ a b Cuckson, Pippa (2 July 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: Piggy French 'devastated' after injury to horse rules her out of the Games". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  11. ^ "London 2012: Piggy French to be replaced by Nicola Wilson". BBC Sport. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  12. ^ "Team Eventing". Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.