Living the Swiss Tokyo dream

Andrew Nicholson reflects on Barbury and going to the Olympics as a coach

- Andrew Nicholson

I WAS very pleased to win three classes at Barbury – the CCI4*-S with Swallow Springs and two novice sections with a pair of six-year-olds, Erin and El Platanito. It’s a beautiful venue, and I can’t imagine there’s a better place to watch cross-country.

I also had three working pupils competing there, as well as my daughter Lily and another rider who is based with me and, as I could see everything they were doing, there was no hiding place for them!

All the horses, from novice to four-star, show jumped in the main arena, which gave them experience of a proper arena with plenty of atmosphere.

I thought the novice cross-country track was a good education for them and, while the three-star walked a touch on the soft side, they still had to deal with the terrain and the horses were tiring as they finished, which is what the riders at the levels below the top need to feel and therefore learn how to deal with.