What a comeback! Andrew Nicholson does it again - he wins at Barbury in its first Event Rider Masters contest

Written by Tony Millett.

Nicholson and Nereo clear one of the arena obstaclesEvent Rider Masters - the new formula for top-level competitive eventing - came to Barbury with all its technology, multi-camera coverage and passion. But it was rather overshadowed by the man who won this third leg: Andrew Nicholson, the Lockeridge-based New Zealander.

Eleven months ago he injured his neck in a fall so badly that he might well have been paralysed. In December he told Marlborough.News that he was back riding again, but was going to see whether he wanted to compete again.

This season he has been back, busy and in form - winning the CIC3* at Bramham International last month. But with his partner Avebury now retired after winning Barbury four times with Nicholson aboard, could he do it again? Yes he could and he is again being called The King of Barbury Castle.

After the Event Rider Masters (ERM) dressage he was in third place with the sixteen year-old chestnut gelding Nereo. On Sunday morning on a course made a bit slippery by early rain, he went clear but had two time penalties.

The ERM cross country is run in reverse order. When it gets to the top ten - after the dressage and show jumping - each leading rider gets to sit on the podium and be interviewed by ERM's Alice Plunkett. They then lose their podium seat when a following rider betters their time and score.

Nicholson & Nereo take the show jumping stage in their stride Nicholson with ERM cap interviewed by ERM's Alice Plunkett Celebrations...Formula One style? [Click on photos to enlarge them]

Andrew Nicholson and one of Nereo’s owners Diane Brunsden receive the winner’s ERM cheque from St James’s Place’s David Bellamy. It was refreshing to see the owners of the winning horses on the podium with their riders. The six-leg series of the Event Rider Masters competition has a prize pot of £350,000 - £50,000 for each of the six legs plus a £50,000 pot for the series’ top riders. The next ERM leg is at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe (August 6-7).

It was an exciting finish. One possible winner, British rider Oliver Townend had a spectacular fall - being somersaulted over a fence. And Canadian star Rebecca Howard, in third place going into the cross country, had a surprising refusal when her Riddle Master decided against the water jump.

The television coverage - live streamed online by ERM TV and viewed around the world - was extremely good. They used slo-mo and replays (including Oliver Townend's spectacular fall - both he and his horse, Cillnabradden Evo appeared to be none the worse for their fall), and included a racecourse-style camera-hour in parallel with riders over one stretch of the course and a drone camera. It also had excellent expert commentary and clear graphics.

And you can watch it again on the Event Rider Masters website. It is a great new formula for the sport - with talk of it going international. But, talking of formula, they must take some lesson from Formula One on how to spray that champagne!

The final order was:
1. Andrew Nicholson & Nereo (NZ)
2. Paul Tapner & Yogi Bear VIII (Aust)
3. Gemma Tattersall & Santiago Bay (GB - Olympic team)
4. Dani Evans & Smart Time (GB)
5. Marcio C Jorge & Lissy Mac Wayer (Brazil)
6. Sam Griffiths & Happy Times (Aust)
7. William Fox-Pitt & Cool Mountain (GB - Olympic team)
8. Jonelle Price & Classic Moet (NZ - Olympic team)

At one point the commentator told the crowd that Nicholson had a point to prove as he had ruled himself out of the Olympics due to a long standing dispute with the equestrian authorities in New Zealand. It may be up there in the realm of extreme coincidence, but it is strange to note that the horse that sent Oliver Townend over a fence was the horse on which Andrew Nicholson had his terrible fall in August last year.

L-to-r: David Bellamy (St James's Place), Chrstopher Burton & Penny Bunter (The Barbury Castle Estate)The St James's Place Barbury International Horse Trials also has its usual CIC3* competition - the one Andrew Nicholson has won for the last four years. There was a bit of light-hearted joshing as to whether riders in that competition were 'the normal ones' or simply 'the usual ones'.

It was won by Australian rider Christopher Burton on Polystar I. British riders Nicola Wilson and Sarah Cohen were second and third. And Paul Tapner took fourth and fifth place. It is worth noting that the Australian Olympic squad as not yet been announced.

The current standings in the inaugural Event Rider Masters series

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