{"id":38503,"date":"2021-03-05T14:32:11","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T03:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/?p=38503"},"modified":"2022-08-30T14:36:07","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T04:36:07","slug":"andrew-nicholson-eventing-masterclass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/2021\/03\/andrew-nicholson-eventing-masterclass\/","title":{"rendered":"Andrew Nicholson Eventing Masterclass"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rebecca Ashton catches up with the Kiwi superstar on a visit home to<\/h1>\n

New Zealand… she also took the photos<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One of the stars at Equitana Auckland was hometown hero Andrew Nicholson. Andrew was back in his home country, with family on hand to help popping up jumps and running around as part of the support crew for his Masterclass.<\/p>\n

The Badminton champion provided some well-thought out flowing exercises to help improve cross country riding with a focus on the horse\u2019s balance and rideability.<\/p>\n

The first couple of horses demonstrating were on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of age, but showed the audience some basic exercises, designed to get both horses and riders thinking and balanced. Anna Beverley had 17-year-old 4* Australian export, Kirby Park Allofasudden, while Denise Rushbrook was on six-year-old Astek Gadzuks.<\/p>\n

All sessions began with flat work: \u201cTrot around like you would at home. A little deeper so you say to the horse, \u2018Listen to me and don\u2019t look at the people\u2019. Take them out into the corners and use the space so when it comes to jumping they\u2019ve seen the whole arena.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work is very important for both the cross country and the showjumping. Keep the quarters pushing forward into the contact. The more you shut the front end, the more tense they get, however, keep a little contact and don\u2019t be afraid to hold the rein. In cross country, you can\u2019t afford to lose your contact.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow canter\u2026forward\u2026so they can relax. Don\u2019t contain the power. Move it out, then bring it back again. Just a short forward, and then bring him back, just don\u2019t shut him down straight away. Don\u2019t think that holding them together is collection. We want to encourage them to use their power, but still be rideable. Yes, then just sit him down a bit. Can you feel how they\u2019re happy to stretch, and the back comes up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then it was on to some simple exercises that Andrew does himself for cross-country tuning. There were four jumps evenly spaced around the circle line. The jumps were all single poles between the jump wings, so if one was knocked it wasn\u2019t a big disaster. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about how many strides you do, it\u2019s about rideability. It\u2019s what you have to do on the cross country course when you make a mess of the distance and we have to fix it. Focus on the rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Exercise number 1, four poles on the ground on the circle line<\/em><\/p>\n

The poles started on the ground. \u201cIt\u2019s not so easy, is it? Look at the next pole and then the next one. Once you get two strides from the pole, there\u2019s nothing you can do, look at the next one. Soft. He\u2019s got four legs, he\u2019s got to look after them. Don\u2019t be obsessed with the one pole you\u2019re jumping. Keep your rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Then the poles were put up and Andrew\u2019s wife Wiggy was in action with the rest of the ground crew, \u201cMy wife\u2019s a good runner, isn\u2019t she?!\u201d quipped Andrew.<\/p>\n

The horses were off again with Andrew helping. \u201cIt\u2019s five strides, five strides, five strides, five strides. Take your eye off the first one when there\u2019s nothing you can do about it. Can you see how the horses starts to relax and go even, and then you can start to see the distance? Keep calm and feel the canter. Keep the distance with your eye. You have to learn to be able to fix the distance.\u201d<\/p>\n

next the poles go up<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The poles gradually got higher and higher before they were set alternatively low, high, low, high. \u201cSo, the distance to the little one will be more difficult now. I always find it\u2019s easier to start the exercise with the bigger ones first, but it\u2019s up to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Denise and Astek Gadzuks<\/em><\/p>\n

The strides from the big jump to the small jump were the trickiest and the riders were instructed to, \u201c\u2026.do something. Look. Sit.\u201d<\/p>\n

To Denise, \u201cSo they\u2019re like us, some are better one way than the other. He\u2019s better right, so go left again.\u201d Anna had to focus on not going fast, just to keep the same rhythm before her older horse started to relax.<\/p>\n

After that exercise was ridden both ways a couple of times, there was a progression. There was an oxer in the middle of the circle, just off centre.<\/p>\n

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The exercise was to jump the two high verticals on the circle right and then over the oxer, then turn left and over oxer again. The riders had to sit in the saddle and balance the horses back in between the jumps, keeping a powerful but controlled canter.<\/p>\n

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Then it was time to look at two oxers and a skinny.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To Anna, \u201cDon\u2019t have the canter too dead. You need something to sit on, but just sit and balance. Five, six and then four strides. Keep your contact. Don\u2019t sit up like in dressage, just sit a little behind him gently to keep him forward.\u201d When things got a bit fast, \u201cYou don\u2019t need to run at a jump. The jump is not going to move. You have plenty to time. Just keep the rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n

more exercises follow<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Then the exercise was executed in the opposite direction. For Denise, the guide poles\u00a0into the skinny were lowered. \u201cKeep your leg on into the barrels because he\u2019ll notice we’ve changed it. Sit on him so you can balance and turn. You stayed nice and even in the rhythm. That was very good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And to sum up the session, \u201cThe main thing about cross country is to be positive and controlled.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next session consisted of three riders to show progressively more challenging exercises. Amanda Illstone, who has ridden 2 and 3* in the UK was on her 1* horse, Verdelho; Vicky Browne-Cole rode her 2* horse Eli, and Samantha Felton rode Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ who is also 2*.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Vicky Cole-Browne and Eli<\/em><\/p>\n

Yet again, the session began with basics on the flat and Andrew encouraged, \u201cDon\u2019t be scared to go up the wall and into the corners of the arena to show them everything. Don\u2019t be frightened to ride forward a bit more. Think about the hind legs before you think about the head position.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sam Felton and Sooty<\/em><\/p>\n

Ride a little more forward, you don\u2019t want to go faster but just have a bit more power. It\u2019s not about their head down on the ground, but stretching their back and lifting their shoulder. Don\u2019t worry if it\u2019s not all fancy. It\u2019s not the show ring. You\u2019re warming up and making them more rideable. Soften in your own body as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the first jumping exercise, Andrew added two plank jumps parallel and close to the wall to work on control while riding towards and away from the wall. Why planks? \u201cThe planks, I don\u2019t know why, they seem to be able to knock them down and not get frightened and come around again and jump them well so it works better than poles in this instance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0He wanted Sam to use her body more gently to turn and to really use the space, \u201cDon\u2019t worry if you scratch the cars! (the sparkling new sponsors\u2019 cars were filling up the arena corners) Don\u2019t shut the canter down too much. I think if you just sit just a little more behind, you\u2019ll be able to turn more smoothly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When Amanda knocked a few, she was instructed to keep going. \u201cKeep jumping until he gets the hang of it. It just shows you don\u2019t have to build them big to make it difficult.\u201d The closeness of the planks to the wall was challenging in itself.<\/p>\n

Vicky needed just a little more oomph without speed. \u201cPush him up so you have more in your hand, not so he\u2019s faster, but so you have something to sit on. Take your time. Don\u2019t lean backwards but don\u2019t chase him either. Quiet, pop over, sit and turn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I did this at home I\u2019d probably have six planks and have them two metres closer to the wall. They stop shooting off afterwards because they\u2019re not sure if they\u2019re going right or left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The planks were raised for the second go around.<\/p>\n

Sam was encouraged to sit down and get her horse to respond to her weight rather than her rein, and Amanda needed to push down in her stirrups more for a more secure lower leg.<\/p>\n

Then the vertical was added to the two planks. Jump one plank away from the wall and then to the vertical and then the second plank into the wall, like a triangle formation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sam was helped, \u201cTake your time. Pop and sit. When you land from the vertical, it\u2019s important to keep your body a little more up and wait for the turn, but still keep the horse forward and not stopping so you can keep the rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concluding the session, \u201cI would do a lot of this sort of schooling at home. You\u2019re training the rideability and the reaction time. Think about when you\u2019re out cross country, you jump a big oxer, land, four strides to the left, jump then three strides to the right.\u201d<\/p>\n

A couple of 3* horses concluded the Masterclass with Chloe Phillips-Harris on Cor Jet who she\u2019s had since a 3-year-old and Bundy Philpott and Tresca GNZ who have been together since the horse was four.<\/p>\n

You guessed it, they started with flat work, but correct flat work with Andrew repeating the same advice, \u201c\u2026.and don\u2019t forget to get up against the wall so they get used to going into corners. Work the back end. You can let him come down a little in front so he can stretch and use his back.<\/p>\n

A bit more forward in the canter so later you have something to sit down. Don\u2019t try to ride with nothing in your hand. It needs to be quiet and steady, but you need it. Keep the hindlegs pushing. Forward and back so they accept you riding the canter strides. It\u2019s simple, basic stuff and they need to do it when you want them to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The jumping exercises this time were more orientated to big competition preparation, \u201cThis is what I would do for training just before I go to a big event no matter what level. Test that you can sit and turn, without losing the stride. Teach them to land and then ride forward, so they start to take you in a very polite way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girls started with a vertical to get their horses warmed up with Andrew adding the odd tip, \u201cDon\u2019t worry if it\u2019s not all pretty. Jump, sit, but keep him forward,\u201d and \u201cas you jump, put your leg a little bit more around him so you stay secure.\u201d If the pole was knocked down, it was important to just keep going and when the rider was bringing the horse back to the walk, Andrew wanted a good canter to walk transition with the horse on the aids so it remained listening to the rider rather than a dribble to the walk through the trot..<\/p>\n

An oxer was then added on the opposite long side of the arena to get the horses just bowling along between jumps.<\/p>\n

Andrew wanted Bundy to focus a little differently, \u201cRather than worry about the lead, just ride it forward and straight. Have a big canter and sit on it to keep it balanced. You want the horse to take you into the jump. You don\u2019t want them to drop the bit and run with their body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe was also asked for some refinement, \u201cSit against it but gently. It\u2019s ok if you have to play and balance a little rather than having them run towards a jump upside down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Then the \u201ccourse\u201d got a little more interesting. Vertical on one long side, oxer on the other, full arena back to a corner, change direction, full arena second corner then centre oxer, corner, centre oxer, second corner (The corners had longer front poles). The two girls were handling things beautifully so Andrew added some changes; vertical, two oxers before two corners to the oxer and then four strides to the corner. \u201c\u2026so you have something in your hand to sit on\u201d and then Andrew wanted it jumped in reverse without stopping, \u201c\u2026so they\u2019re not stopping and starting so you get into some sort of rhythm and feeling.\u201d Andrew wanted good, accurate turns to help get that consistent rhythm.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bundy over the vertical<\/em><\/p>\n

The last test was to have a look at the skinny: Middle oxer, corner, middle oxer, skinny, middle oxer, corner.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chloe over the skinny with guide poles on the ground<\/em><\/p>\n

When Tresca decided the skinny was a monster, poles were used to lead the horse into the jump, which then progressed to the poles lying on the ground. Success. Chloe needed to keep the canter powerful and balanced rather than closing the canter as this encouraged the horse just to get faster. Yes, dressage training with speed control really is necessary!<\/p>\n

To conclude, Andrew wanted the audience to really understand how the exercises progressed, and taught the riders how to balance the horse with their body to keep a bold canter with good rhythm, rather than making things fast, flat and chaotic or backing up and fiddling too much. They exercises also helped the horse understand how to land, and move forward and away from the jump on the first stride rather than get stuck. \u201cThen things don\u2019t go wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting insights of the behind the scenes training from greats such as Andrew really is a privilege.\u00a0\u00a0 His exercises flowed and never over-challenged the horses or riders.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

Breeding an eventer? There’s a selection of the best stallions in the world available from International Horse Breeders, choose from stallions like Balou Pagio go to www.ihb.com.au<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Or Diacontinus<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eventing superstar, Andrew Nicholson comes home to New Zealand to conduct a clinic – sit in and learn…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":38534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,5],"tags":[522,1244,73,535],"class_list":["post-38503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-eventing","tag-andrew-nicholson","tag-eventing","tag-eventing-training","tag-rebecca-ashton"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38503"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64238,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38503\/revisions\/64238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horsemagazine.com\/thm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}