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Nicola Wilson

{{short description|British equestrian}}

{{For|the cricket coach and former international cricketer now known as Nicola Wilson|Nicola Payne (cricketer)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| headercolor =

| name = Nicola Wilson

| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}

| image = Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz during cross-country at 2012 London Olympics.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| caption = Wilson and Opposition Buzz competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London

| birth_name = Nicola Tweddle

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| nationality = English

| residence =

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| birth_place = Darlington, County Durham, England

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| height = {{height|m=1.77}}

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| website =

| country = {{GBR}}

| sport = Equestrian

| event =

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{{MedalSport|Equestrian}}

{{MedalCountry| {{GBR2}}}}

{{Medal|Competition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalSilver|2012 London|Team Eventing}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Equestrian Games}}

{{MedalGold|2010 Kentucky|Team Eventing}}

{{Medal|Competition|European Championships}}

{{MedalGold|2009 Fontainebleau|Team eventing}}

{{MedalGold|2017 Strzegom|Team eventing}}

{{MedalGold|2021 Avenches|Team eventing}}

{{MedalGold|2021 Avenches|Individual eventing}}

{{MedalSilver|2015 Blair Castle|Team eventing}}

{{MedalBronze|2011 Luhmühlen|Team eventing}}

{{MedalBronze|2017 Strzegom|Individual eventing}}

}}

Nicola Wilson (née Tweddle;{{cite web|title=Nicola Wilson, British event rider|url=http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/5125/289508.html|publisher=Horse and Hound|accessdate=16 July 2012|date=5 January 2012}} born 1 October 1976{{cite web|url=http://www.teamgb.com/athletes/nicola-wilson |title=Nicola wilson |publisher=Team GB |accessdate=2012-08-17}}) 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.{{cite web|title=Nicola Wilson: Team GB|url=http://www.teamgb.com/athletes/nicola-wilson|publisher=British Olympic Association|accessdate=16 July 2012}}{{cite web|title=Nicola Wilson|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/Team-GB/competitors/8662354/Nicola-Wilson-Team-GB-London-2012-Olympics.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424051138/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/Team-GB/competitors/8662354/Nicola-Wilson-Team-GB-London-2012-Olympics.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 April 2012|publisher=The Telegraph online|accessdate=16 July 2012}} Wilson studied for a degree in Sport and Business Management at Manchester University, and graduated with a 2:1 in 1999.

Career

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

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.{{cite news|last=Greenwood-Hughes|first=Lizzie|title=Double gold for Britain's riders|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/equestrian/8277142.stm|accessdate=16 July 2012|date=27 September 2009|publisher=BBC Sport}} 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.{{cite news|title=William Fox-Pitt leads Britain to World Equestrian gold|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/equestrian/9056148.stm|accessdate=16 July 2012|date=3 October 2011|publisher=BBC Sport}} Wilson and Opposition Buzz finished 16th overall in the individual competition.

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.{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Ollie|title=Badminton Horse Trials: Mark Todd promoted to lead|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/equestrian/13183271.stm|accessdate=16 July 2012|date=24 April 2011|publisher=BBC Sport}} During the show jumping phase she knocked down a fence and eventually finished seventh in a competition won by Mark Todd.{{cite web|last=Phillips|first=Carole|title=Mark Todd wins Badminton Horse Trials 2011|url=http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews/391/307119.html|publisher=Horse and Hound|accessdate=16 July 2012|date=25 April 2011}} She won a bronze medal at the 2011 European Eventing Championships as the British side finished behind Germany and France.{{cite news|title=Britain miss out to Germany and France at Euro Eventing|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/equestrian/14701827.stm|accessdate=16 July 2012|date=28 August 2011|publisher=BBC Sport}}

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.{{cite news|last=Cuckson|first=Pippa|title=London 2012 Olympics: Piggy French 'devastated' after injury to horse rules her out of the Games|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/equestrianism/9370687/London-2012-Olympics-Piggy-French-devastated-after-injury-to-horse-rules-her-out-of-the-Games.html|accessdate=15 July 2012|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=London|date=2 July 2012}}{{cite news|title=London 2012: Piggy French to be replaced by Nicola Wilson|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18681188|accessdate=16 July 2012|date=2 July 2012|publisher=BBC Sport}} Wilson's horse for the Games was Opposition Buzz. The events were held at Greenwich Park between 28 and 31 July.{{cite web|title=Team Eventing|url=http://www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/eventing-team/index.html|publisher=Official site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games|accessdate=16 July 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712074623/http://www.london2012.com/equestrian/event/eventing-team/index.html|archivedate=12 July 2012}}

CCI 5* Results

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
colspan=13 align=center | Results
Event

! Kentucky

! Badminton

! Luhmühlen

! Burghley

! Pau

! Adelaide

200327th (Skiver)

|

200420th (Skiver)

|

2005RET (Skiver)

|9th (Skiver)

|WD (Skiver)

WD (Highland Loch II)

|

2006colspan="6" |Did not participate
200716th (Opposition Buzz)

|

15th (Opposition Buzz)

|

20087th (Opposition Buzz)

|

5th (Opposition Buzz)

|

200911th (Opposition Buzz)

|

EL (Oingy Boingy)

|

20108th (Opposition Buzz)

|

30th (Master Banks)

|

20117th (Opposition Buzz)RET (Bee Diplomatic)

|

18th (Bee Diplomatic)

|

2012

| colspan="6" |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)

|{{Silver02}} (Bulana)

|

|

|

2018

|

|

|RET (Bulana)

|

|

|

2019

|

|21st (Bulana)

|

|

|

|

colspan=13 align=center | EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

International Championship results

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
colspan="11" align="center" | Results
Year

! Event

! Horse

! Placing

!Notes

rowspan="2" | 2009rowspan="2" | European Championshipsrowspan="2" |Opposition Buzz

|{{Gold01}}

|Team

9th

|Individual

rowspan="2" | 2010rowspan="2" | World Young Horse ChampionshipsAnnie Clover

|{{Silver02}}

|CCI*

Inde

|23rd

|CCI**

rowspan="2" | 2010rowspan="2" |World Equestrian Games

| rowspan="2" | Opposition Buzz

{{Gold01}}

|Team

15th

|Individual

2011

|World Young Horse Championships

|Annie Clover

|5th

|CCI**

rowspan="2" |2011

| rowspan="2" |European Championships

| rowspan="2" |Opposition Buzz

|{{Bronze03}}

|Team

16th

|Individual

rowspan="2" |2012

| rowspan="2" |Olympic Games

| rowspan="2" |Opposition Buzz

|{{Silver02}}

|Team

28th

|Individual

2014

|World Equestrian Games

|Annie Clover

|24th

|Individual

rowspan="2" |2015

| rowspan="2" |European Championships

| rowspan="2" |One Two Many

|{{Silver02}}

|Team

27th

|Individual

rowspan="2" |2017

| rowspan="2" |European Championships

| rowspan="2" |Bulana

|{{Gold01}}

|Team

{{Bronze03}}

|Individual

colspan="11" align="center" | 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

{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Nicola}}

Category:British event riders

Category:Equestrians at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic equestrians for Great Britain

Category:British female equestrians

Category:1976 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Darlington

Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester

Category:Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain

Category:Olympic medalists in equestrian

Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire