Andrew Nicholson has neck surgery after Gatcombe fall
Andrew Nicholson has “full range of movement” after undergoing neck surgery on Monday following a serious cross-country fall at the weekend.
The top New Zealand event rider fell with Cillnabradden Evo in the CIC3* at the Festival of British Eventing on Sunday (9 August).
A statement from Andrew’s family today (Tuesday 12 August) said: “Andrew underwent surgery yesterday (Monday 10 August) to repair the injury to his neck.
“The surgery went well and his condition is stable. Andrew is comfortable and has full range of movement.
“His family would like to thank the many well-wishers.”
Andrew fell from the nine-year-old gelding at the final fence at the Gloucestershire event.
The six-times Olympic event rider was taken to hospital in Swindon immediately. However, he was then transferred to the John Radcliffe in Oxfordshire for surgery.
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Andrew has been competing Cillnabradden Evo, who is by Creeevagh Ferro Ex Siebe and out of Willow Garden, since March 2014.
With Andrew, the gelding won the advanced at Weston Park in April and most recently finished fifth in the open intermediate at Cholmondeley Castle.
The pair also won the Amlin Plus eventers’ challenge at Hickstead, where the rider remarked that the gelding is “a horse that has come up through the grades very quickly, but will be a top horse”.
The horse was not injured in the fall.
Andrew took on the ride from Irish eventer Padraig McCarthy, who has recently been selected to represent his country at the FEI European Eventing Championships. The ride previously belonged to Padraig’s fiancee Lucy Wiegersma. The horse has 247 British Eventing points.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.