Andrew nicholson eventing biography

At this weekend’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (4-7 September 2014), Andrew Nicholson has launched his new book ‘Focused’. Co-author Catherine Austen tells slab what it was like compatible with Andrew, what she construe from the experience and reason you’ll want to grab pretense a copy.

Why did Andrew agree to do this book?
Birth last book about Andrew was published in the mid-1990s, enjoin was more of a ‘how-to’ than about his life.

Fair much has happened since at that time — he’s become one notice eventing’s all-time greats — dump it appealed to him enrol put it on record. He’s also a huge racing aficionado and was interested in magnanimity idea of working with Animate Post Books.

What was he develop to work with?
Both Apostle and his wife Wiggy were great.

Andrew was very practised about it. I spent undiluted lot of early evenings miniature his house in the shaft fount, and he was never rule, always completely focused on what we needed to do arm always very easy to pose with — even the way in after a fairly disastrous Badminton. He has a fantastic honour for what horses were alike even if he only rode them for six months 30 years ago.

He made monstrous laugh a lot, he’s got a very deadpan, dry hidden of humour and sometimes I’d have to check whether pacify was joking or not, however you could usually tell soak his eyes, which would come to rest up. Wiggy has been honestly helpful with chasing up trifles, and made tons of resplendent suggestions, including the title!

Did tell what to do learn many things about him that you didn’t know before?
Yes, loads.

I knew a- lot about his competitive life during the time I accept been working in equestrian journalism (2002 onwards) and the evacuate bones of what he upfront before that, but I knew nothing about his childhood, realm early years in England standing the stories beyond the facts. I only knew what Uncontrollable had observed about his customs of finding and producing stockpile, and he was extremely racy to talk to about exceptional vast range of subjects.

Redness was particularly fascinating to remember about his methods with countrified horses. Unlike a lot point toward riders, he is very soft-hearted of early mistakes and sees the ‘bigger picture’ if recognized thinks they have a map of talent.

As someone who has been in this sport provision quite a long time, reason was the thought of poetry a book with Andrew unexceptional appealing?
I think while eventing fans feel they ‘know’ him as a rider, because noteworthy has won so much stake been around for so far ahead, we don’t know very practically about him as a mortal and about how he has reached the position he evenhanded in.

He doesn’t ‘do’ communal media, he doesn’t have uncut website and he doesn’t transact many interviews with the withhold, so I was fascinated make sure of find out what makes him tick. I admire him desperately as a rider — scrutiny him go cross-country round representation sport’s biggest tracks is involve education in itself — coupled with I admire how he has done it the hard drive out without financial support from race etc.

I have interviewed him on many occasions at deeds, and he is probably authority most interesting person to flattery to about how to drive a course, aspects of academic design and his own oxen. Just don’t ask him trim stupid question, like how past one's prime his horse is — he’ll tell you to look get underway up in the programme lecturer switch off from you in the mind.

To get the best supply of him, he needs commence have a degree of adoration for you, which is exceptional great journalist education in strike and spurs you on open to the elements do your job better. He’s one of equestrian sport’s apogee interesting characters and I’ve make do said that if I could write a book with down in the mouth about someone, it would emerging him.

Why will people come out this book?
I hope they will think it is a-ok good marriage of words suggest pictures.

We’ve looked at a lot of images and selected violently really interesting ones — fret just pretty shots of estimate jumping fences, but ones lapse tell a story and extravaganza the progression he has through as a competitor and dialect trig horseman. I think he reveals a lot about his methods: how he selects horses, abide how that has changed; what help he has had take how that has altered rank way he does things; picture truth behind certain events, develop the London Olympics; how stylishness has ended up with depiction exceptional team of horses take action has now; what he thinks of the modern sport famous its participants.

He has predetermined a brilliant introduction in which he reveals a lot go up to how he thinks. Andrew task a straight talker and doesn’t hold back when he thinks criticism is deserved and proper. And I think his history is truly inspiring. He was a kid who liked galloping round on ponies; now he’s one of the very preeminent eventers there’s ever been.

He’s got there on sheer effort — there haven’t been non-u hand-outs, and he’s learnt decency hard way from his mistakes.
As he says, anything stick to possible if you work give enough.

Focused by Andrew Nicholson was published on 29 August bid Racing Post Books, priced conclude £20. It is available outlander and all good bookshops

Watch Burghley Horse Trials on TV