Nicholson and Avebury All Class En Route to Historic Win

By: Diana Dobson

World-class Kiwi eventer Andrew Nicholson nabbed a piece of history this morning, when he and Avebury won their fourth consecutive CIC3* title at the Barbury International Horse Trials in the UK. 

It also formed part of a New Zealand trifecta, with Nicholson second on Nereo (owned by Libby Sellar) and Sir Mark Todd third on Leonidas II (owned by Diane Brunsden, Peter Cattell and Todd).

It is believed to be the first time in the history of eventing, a horse has won a class of this stature four times in succession.

Fifteen-year-old Averbury (owned by Mark and Rosemary Barlow) never faltered on his way to victory, finishing on his dressage score of 33.9 penalty points. The combination rode a perfect round over Captain Mark Phillips' cross country this morning to come home 12 seconds inside the optimum time.

For Nicholson and Avebury, who last year made history with their hat-trick of titles at the four star Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, it underlines their status as one of the world's most brilliant eventing partnerships ever.

“Avebury definitely knew where he was (today),” said Nicholson, who is ranked number five in the world. “He felt as if he really knew his way round and could have gone even faster. I was thrilled with Nereo as well, who felt great. It’s a privilege to ride two horses like that.”

It was fitting, that the horse who this year had a fence named after him at Barbury, was the victor.

Nicholson bred Avebury, but sold him as a showjumper before he came back to the stable, and it was Nicholson's wife Wiggy who spied the four-star potential in the showy grey.

Tim Price rounded out a brilliant morning for the Kiwis, with his fifth placing in the CIC3* aboard  Ringwood Sky Boy (owned by Robert Taylor, Varenna Allen, selwood.com and Price). All of the top five finished on their dressage scores, with Avebury on 33.9, Nereo on 38.3, Leonidas II on 38.4, fourth-placed Nicola Wilson (GBR) and Beltane Queen on 44.1 and Ringwood Sky Boy on 45.

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