Andrew Nicholson withdraws from NZ squad

Andrew Nicholson has reportedly stepped down from the 2015 New Zealand equestrian squad, citing a disagreement at the World Equestrian Games that left him “disgusted”.

‘Robust discussion’

Andrew maintains his horse Nereo was left without veterinary assistance when he was put on a routine rehydration drip following the cross-country. He said he had to ask someone to find the vet, which led to a “robust discussion and an argument”.

“That’s not what you expect at a world championships for a horse of that calibre,” Andrew toldThe New Zealand Herald on Sunday. “Also, there were only two horses [Nereo and Jonelle Price’s Classic Moet] to look after at that stage of the competition.

“That was the sole basis for why I was angry. I regret the incident but I’m not going to apologise.”

Official complaint

Andrew alleges Equestrian Sports New Zealand (ESNZ) high performance director Sarah Harris and coach Erik Duvander signed a complaint to the FEI’s judiciary committee about his behaviour.

“We had subsequent discussions where I said, ‘I can’t believe how you’re treating me. I’m removing myself from the high performance squad’,” said Andrew.

According to the seven-time Olympian they then withdrew their complaint, however Sarah Harris released a statement saying a complaint was never made to the FEI.

“Any complaints would firstly be dealt with by ESNZ, but no official complaints were laid following WEG,” she said. “The welfare of our horses and riders are of the highest priority to us and our riders. Andrew Nicholson is one of our most celebrated athletes at elite level.”

Rectify problems

Sarah stated ESNZ has two formal processes currently under way – a debrief about WEG and their annual review with High Performance Sport New Zealand, which is responsible for allocating resources to sports organisations and athletes.

“Once that review and debrief are complete, we will look closely at any feedback to ensure we continue to improve all of our programmes,” she said.

Andrew said he is “placing faith in the high-performance review process to help rectify the problems” and will not reconsider his position until that time.