Andrew Nicholson’s Cross Country performance on Quimbo was the stuff of dreams at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event (USA), third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics™ 2012/2013. The New Zealander is now deservedly holding onto first and second places at the top of a considerably altered scoreboard with a fence in hand over third-placed Buck Davidson (USA).
Nicholson put in an excellent early round on a matured Calico Joe, now in second place, to finish bang on the optimum time, but his performance at the end of the Cross Country on Libby Sellar’s talented 10-year-old was simply breathtaking – a joy to watch and a master class in accurate, sympathetic horsemanship in which horse and rider were as one throughout.
“That was probably my most exciting ride ever,” said an understandably elated Nicholson. “Quimbo is an unbelievable horse. For the first time at this level, that was just an amazing performance. When I got to eight minutes, I said ‘Let’s get serious’ and he amazed me as he went faster and faster at the end.”