Eventing legend retired
Nicola Wilson has had an “emotional” final run on her TeamGB stalwart Opposition Buzz who has now been retired.
Nicola Wilson and the 17-year-old gelding rode in their last competition — finishing second in the advanced at Allerton Park (pictured below right) — on Saturday (20 September).
Nicola announced on Twitter the night before that it would be “Dodi’s” last event and was
“touched” by the amount of supporters to came to see final run.
“The crowd made it so special,” Nicola told H&H. “He was clapped and cheered from start to finish.
“He has had a super year it seemed fitting for a Yorkshire bred, owned and ridden horse to finish at a Yorkshire event.”
Dodi was dropped down from four-star level after last year’s Burghley but he has had a successful season at three-star with seven top-ten finishes.
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Nicola and his owner/breeder Rosemary Search have now decided that he should be retired.
“He is a horse that has his own instruction manual,” Nicola said.
“He is still so enthusiastic. He wouldn’t know when the right time for him to retire would be, so it is up to us to make the right decision.
“It is so lovely that he has finished his fantastic career still sound and he has got lots of years left to enjoy the retirement he deserves.”
Dodi is going to spend his retirement at Nicola’s Yorkshire base where he will be hacked out by his long-term groom Lynn Swift and may also be used as a “nanny” for younger horses at events.
“I’m sure he will be sad when he sees the horsebox go out but he will still very much be King of the yard,” added Nicola.
“He is very laid back and enjoys hacking and being in the field
“He certainly won’t miss his dressage schooling but he will miss the cross-country.”
Nicola and Dodi have completed 11 four-stars and represented TeamGB at four championships.
“He has many fabulous memories to re-live,” Nicola added.
“It is his cross-country that has been amazing. I will always remember whizzing around all those cross-country tracks with ease.
“I will probably never have a horse quite like him again.”
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Sophia Heath joined Horse & Hound in July 2013 having previously worked for the Daily Telegraph's Olympics website, CNN International and Omnisport. A Durham graduate with a Masters in journalism from City University, Sophia has evented, showjumped and hunted. Sophia left Horse & Hound in early 2015 to join an international boating website.