Anfrew nicholson why was he not a popular winner ?

The picture of AN in WFP's autobiography is quite interesting. Not so much his relationship with Wiggy - you get the impression that her relationship with WFP would have broken down sooner or later anyway. But William mentions an occasion when AN tried to get him disqualified from an event on completely spurious grounds. Throw in the moaning about the dressage at Grenwich (and presumably other incidents known by those in the know) and it isn't surprising he's not that popular. Shame because he is a very capable rider
 
d_morrow said:
He seems to be a bit of a hot-head and quite rude. I know a vet who was officiating at Wilton last year. He told her to "******* off" because she made a decision he didn't like. Can't ever imagine WFP doing such a thing...
Click to expand...

Maybe not swearing but WFP did refuse to go any earlier than his time at an event when he was very last of the day, had already completed D and SJ and due to withdrawals there was nearly 45 mins before his XC time; he kept everyone waiting for him at the end of a very long day which seemed incredibly unfair of him, not even as if he was waiting for an owner to watch. Went down in a lot of people's estimation.
 
PolarSkye said:
Found them . . . mare Polar Sky . . . stable name Mary . . . very pretty little mare, only 15.2 and, yes, they have affiliated. Most certainly NOT the GreyDonkey (who is 16.2) and Emily Clark is probably considerably smaller than me too ;).

Here's Emily's webpage . . . http://www.emilyclark-eventing.com/horses.html

P
Click to expand...

She used to post on here, I'll remember her username if I think long enough
 
He's a supremely brilliant rider (and I don't think he is better or worse than WFP, just different) and he isn't afraid to be outspoken, which doesn't always win friends.
I think his rant at the Olympics was totally justified. That was an unprecedented delay. The judge's booth visor problem should have been sorted in the previous break, not left until it was flapping about so much. Amazing that Miners Frolic ignored it. The weather is just one of those things, they've all ridden in worse, and I don't think he'd have said a word at being kept to his allotted time in monsoon conditions. The H&S ramifications of thunder and lightning... well, the horse wasn't going to be the tallest thing around, the huge cranes holding the camera on wires were about 100m high or something!
As for his private life - his business.
 
Maesfen said:
Maybe not swearing but WFP did refuse to go any earlier than his time at an event when he was very last of the day, had already completed D and SJ and due to withdrawals there was nearly 45 mins before his XC time; he kept everyone waiting for him at the end of a very long day which seemed incredibly unfair of him, not even as if he was waiting for an owner to watch. Went down in a lot of people's estimation.
Click to expand...

And what's wrong with that?? He's perfectly entitled to wait until his allocated time - and I'm sure he like many other eventers has spend plenty of time hanging around waiting to go due to delays etc.

I'm another who has heard rumours about AN's training methods which have caused me to be reluctant to support him.

I'm very fond of WFP though. I was willing Sinead to win however!
 
kerilli said:
He's a supremely brilliant rider (and I don't think he is better or worse than WFP, just different) and he isn't afraid to be outspoken, which doesn't always win friends.
I think his rant at the Olympics was totally justified. That was an unprecedented delay. The judge's booth visor problem should have been sorted in the previous break, not left until it was flapping about so much. Amazing that Miners Frolic ignored it. The weather is just one of those things, they've all ridden in worse, and I don't think he'd have said a word at being kept to his allotted time in monsoon conditions. The H&S ramifications of thunder and lightning... well, the horse wasn't going to be the tallest thing around, the huge cranes holding the camera on wires were about 100m high or something!
As for his private life - his business.
Click to expand...

I agree with kerilli, especially the bits I've highlighted :)
 
I like him - at least he is upfront about how he feels, and my friend worked for him and doesnt have a bad word to say about him.
I do think people are either pro andrew or pro william as its difficult to like them both given the history
 
And on the day WFP made people wait..wonder how many other horses he had already ridden and maybe HE ! Needed the break in order to do his horse justice?
 
arry said:
I like him - at least he is upfront about how he feels, and my friend worked for him and doesnt have a bad word to say about him.
I do think people are either pro andrew or pro william as its difficult to like them both given the history
Click to expand...

Not really - I don't have any particular feelings about WFP but I DON'T like the way AN always seems to have something to moan about. I think his whinge at the Olympics was totally unjustified - imagine what he'd have had to say if the judges hadn't called a halt and his horse had taken exception to the flappy plastic?
 
armchair_rider said:
The picture of AN in WFP's autobiography is quite interesting. Not so much his relationship with Wiggy - you get the impression that her relationship with WFP would have broken down sooner or later anyway. But William mentions an occasion when AN tried to get him disqualified from an event on completely spurious grounds. Throw in the moaning about the dressage at Grenwich (and presumably other incidents known by those in the know) and it isn't surprising he's not that popular. Shame because he is a very capable rider
Click to expand...

I agree with this...combination of things really, I don't think he is the sort to pay attention to his personal PR/reputation. The dressage comments did make me roal my eyes a but!

But as above, he is a fantastic rider
 
Babybear said:
And what's wrong with that?? He's perfectly entitled to wait until his allocated time - and I'm sure he like many other eventers has spend plenty of time hanging around waiting to go due to delays etc.

I was willing Sinead to win however!
Click to expand...

First off, so was I, she had a supreme round the day before and her dressage was a delight; she did deserve to win but that's horses for you and it won't be the last time that someone else wins by default but at the same time, I was glad it was AN who benefited.

As to WFP, we'll beg to differ; I was just saying how it looked and felt from a trials worker's perspective hanging around for an extra hour when they could have finished much earlier after an already very long day which they had been doing for all riders, not just him; it didn't seem very fair from their perspective - and no, he hadn't had many rides that day which is why they were upset at him, he was just pulling rank and because they're unpaid volunteers you would have thought he could have been more accommodating than he was..
 
Agreed he could have been more accommodating BUT he waited till his allocated time, had there been no withdrawals everyone would have had to stay until then - or possibly later had there been hold ups. We experienced a certain lady 4* rider who decided to keep three of her horses to the end of the last section of the day then rode them one after the other, warming each of them up of course. She kept us waiting nearly an hour AFTER her allocated time. BE officials were not happy bunnies!
 
Lol, I can just imagine although the BE officials must take some of the blame for allowing that, they could have stopped that in an instant.
Just why is it some think themselves more important than Joe Bloggs, they all pay the same entry fees after all and all should be treated fairly no matter how many horses they compete? We had someone (almost a pro) with two rides right at the end one day and without prompting, they couldn't have been more obliging with her husband warming one up while she XC'd the other then a flying change to go again. Those are the sort of people you appreciate at the end of a long day.
 
amymay said:
So why was she allowed to run?
Click to expand...


4* rider, not a "big" event and I guess they want to be accommodating to the names. And of course it's perfectly reasonable for a rider to need to change tack and warm up the next horse before going XC, just bloody irritating for those kept waiting.
 
I lived next door to Andrew years ago and used to work in his yard over the summer holidays, he was truly a gentleman although he used to go ballistic if he couldnt find his hoofpick!
his then wife Jane taught me dressage on my pony and my sister used to Nanny their children Rebecca and Melissa.
I never saw any training methods that made me question his integrity, all the horses were so well cared for, but that was A LONG time ago and he may have got grumpy in his latter years!
(blushes as I remember many a party had with his foreign grooms)
 
Dee O'Dorant said:
And of course it's perfectly reasonable for a rider to need to change tack and warm up the next horse before going XC, just bloody irritating for those kept waiting.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. However if the event is well organised, and running on time, then the rider would have plenty of time to do this.

It would have been a 'no' from me I'm afraid.
 
maisiemoo said:
Having just seen some comments on team GB facebook page , saying that they can't warm to this man after what he did and that alot of people would of liked someone else to of won burghley i'm curious as to why ?
Click to expand...
First time I have looked at H&H forum in a long time, must admit I think it odd for anyone in the horsy world to hold up morals, as (and I know I will get plenty of hate posts for this) the horsy world is always jumping about, so get real!
Having stewarded for both WFP and AN, both have been gracious and good luck to them all, some of the others however. . . . . It would have been nice for a Brit to win Burghley but the best horse won on the day
 
kerilli said:
He's a supremely brilliant rider (and I don't think he is better or worse than WFP, just different) and he isn't afraid to be outspoken, which doesn't always win friends.
I think his rant at the Olympics was totally justified. That was an unprecedented delay. The judge's booth visor problem should have been sorted in the previous break, not left until it was flapping about so much. Amazing that Miners Frolic ignored it. The weather is just one of those things, they've all ridden in worse, and I don't think he'd have said a word at being kept to his allotted time in monsoon conditions. The H&S ramifications of thunder and lightning... well, the horse wasn't going to be the tallest thing around, the huge cranes holding the camera on wires were about 100m high or something!
As for his private life - his business.
Click to expand...

I agree, was delighted for him, think he was due a big win, absolutely class rider and really impressed with him handing Armada to OliT.
 
Luci07 said:
And on the day WFP made people wait..wonder how many other horses he had already ridden and maybe HE ! Needed the break in order to do his horse justice?
Click to expand...

Exactly. We don't know the whole story. Was it a course he'd already ridden, or did he have to go through the course(s) again mentally to make sure he was doing the correct one? (Let's not forget he jumped the wrong last fence at Burnham CIC*** this spring, which cost him the win!) Maybe he hadn't had time all day for a drink or a snack. I hugely doubt he sat in his lorry for 45 minutes twiddling his thumbs until his allotted time, just to prove a point... especially when facing the drive back to Devon afterwards! ;) ;)
I, too, have been volunteering when a 4* rider left all his XC rides to the end of the day, totally ignoring allocated times so that he had more time for Dr and Sj warm-ups, then had about 5 or 6 to ride in the final 10 rides of the day. It wasn't either of these riders mentioned btw!
 
See I'm thrilled that Andrew won. Very well deserved and actually I like him because he doesn't care a jot what other people think about him, and is an incredible horseman. I much prefer him to supposedly "lovely" horsey "celebs" who behind closed doors are anything but...but are very very clever at PR....least he is what it says on the tin ;)
 
I have to say I've gotten further and further into the Andrew camp as I've learned more about him. You gotta admire anyone in the spotlight who really are just themselves and don't feel the need to try and be someone else to maintain their PR. Ask anyone in 'the know' and you won't hear a bad word about AN as a person or a horseman, which is more than can be said for a couple of the Team GBR 'Darlings' who are very different to their public personas...

I've seen AN a few times at local events on young horses and been in awe, the way he can pick up a green horse and give it confidence is an art, and over the years his riding has improved massively and he has become more consistant and more successful. I really enjoyed watching him ride over the weekend, he deserved the win IMO.
 
Scarlett said:
I have to say I've gotten further and further into the Andrew camp as I've learned more about him. You gotta admire anyone in the spotlight who really are just themselves and don't feel the need to try and be someone else to maintain their PR. Ask anyone in 'the know' and you won't hear a bad word about AN as a person or a horseman, which is more than can be said for a couple of the Team GBR 'Darlings' who are very different to their public personas...

I've seen AN a few times at local events on young horses and been in awe, the way he can pick up a green horse and give it confidence is an art, and over the years his riding has improved massively and he has become more consistant and more successful. I really enjoyed watching him ride over the weekend, he deserved the win IMO.
Click to expand...

Yes, absolutely. I agree that some of the big names with perfect PR personae are actually known, behind the scenes, for being rather different. One in particular is known for doing whatever they like - I heard direct from the Organiser of a very big event that you can guarantee that if there is ever someone riding where they have been very specifically told they shouldn't, it will be this one rider... who clearly thinks the usual rules do not apply to them!
AN rides sublimely. I've always thought his dressage was the weaker phase, but not any more.
 
KatB said:
See I'm thrilled that Andrew won. Very well deserved and actually I like him because he doesn't care a jot what other people think about him, and is an incredible horseman. I much prefer him to supposedly "lovely" horsey "celebs" who behind closed doors are anything but...but are very very clever at PR....least he is what it says on the tin ;)
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more with this!!! One Team GB member in particular is very behind closed doors to their public persona.
 
I admire AN as a horseman and there's no doubt he is extremely talented, but then so are many other top riders. I thought his comments at the Olympics were perhaps justified but he could have been a little more accomodating, after all Tina Cook didn't make a fuss about riding in the pouring rain with the judge's hut roof flapping about :rolleyes: Overall though I'm pretty indifferent to him.

Personally I really like WFP, I think he always comes across very well, but then again I don't know him personally. I thought his comments about Sinead were very sweet though.

And whilst we're on the subject of which riders we do or don't like, I have to say Mary is a true superstar in my eyes! An amazing rider and just the nicest person ever, I love watching her interviews, whatever happens she's always thrilled with her horses and very genuine.

Clayton Fredericks on the other hand really irritates me for some reason. He always comes across slightly arrogant and I'd like to see him praise his horses a little more. He has had a pretty rubbish season though what with the Olympics fall and then the fall at Burghley (I was at the fence when it happened) but even so it wasn't the horses fault and it would have been nice to see him give it a pat and check it was ok :confused:
Again I don't know him personally, and I'm sure he was incredibly frustrated so perhaps unfair of me to judge? :rolleyes:
 
I really like them both. They are both have different styles, but they're both obviously effective. :)

Am I the only one who's dying to know which British riders are different to how the appear in public? :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top