Nicola Wilson

Nicola Wilson (née Tweddle) is a commentator and trainer who won nine senior championship medals in her riding career before retiring from eventing after an accident.

Nicola started eventing professionally after graduating from university. Her greatest individual success as a rider was being crowned European champion in 2021 when she took the individual title and led Britain to the team gold at the European Eventing Championships in Avenches, Switzerland, riding JL Dublin.

Nicola sustained a serious neck injury in a cross-country fall at Badminton 2022 and was in hospital recovering from her injuries for more than four months. She was discharged and returned home to continue her rehabilitation in September 2022. She is now forging a new career in equestrian media and as a trainer.

Nicola Wilson with JL Dublin at the European Championships 2021.

What championships did Nicola ride at?

Nicola got her first taste of success in 1997 when she was selected to ride as an individual for the young rider European squad in Pratoni on Mr Bumble.

Nicola was first selected as a senior British team member at the 2009 European Eventing Championships in Fontainebleau where she came home with a team gold medal riding Opposition Buzz (aka Dodi).

The talented gelding attracted a huge following thanks to his incredible scope and slightly unorthodox jumping style and the pair became regular pathfinders for the British team over the next few years.

Together they won team gold at the World Equestrian Games in 2010 in Kentucky, team bronze at the 2011 European Championships in Luhmühlen and team silver at the Olympics in London in 2012.

Nicola was also a team silver medallist at the 2015 European Championships at Blair Castle Horse Trials riding One Two Many.

Nicola Wilson won her first individual medal — bronze — at the 2017 European Championships in Strzegom in Poland with Bulana. She also led the British team to gold.

Nicola Wilson and Bulana on the way to individual bronze at the 2017 European Championships.

In 2021, Nicola was selected for the British team for the European Championships in Avenches with the then 10-year-old JL Dublin. The pair went on to take the individual gold and lead the team to victory.

JL Dublin was bought by Nicola as a four-year-old at the Holsteiner sales in Germany and Nicola says the winter of 2020 to 2021 was a turning point in his career.

“He had matured into the horse we’d always hoped he’d be,” said Nicola in an interview after her Europeans win. “He’d always tried hard, but he used to strike me as the kind of character that would love to be at the bar drinking beer with his mates.

“And over the winter, it was like he decided, ‘I’d still like to drink beer on my downtime, but I’d also like to do really well and drink champagne afterwards’.”

Nicola Wilson and JL Dublin at the 2021 European Championships.

Did Nicola win at five-star?

No, Nicola’s best result at five-star was finishing second at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in 2017 on Bulana.

Does Nicola have a husband? Does she have children?

Yes. Nicola married Alastair Wilson in 2006. They don’t have any children.

Didn’t Nicola Wilson have a serious injury eventing before her fall in 2022?

Prior to her accident at Badminton 2022, in which she sustained a life-changing neck injury, Nicola had a bad fall while competing at Arville in Belgium in 2019 and fractured four vertebrae. She recovered to compete at the top level again.

Where is Nicola’s yard?

Nicola is based on a 100-acre farm in North Yorkshire, which she and Alastair own.

Isn’t there another Nicola Wilson?

There is another event rider called Nicola Wilson (who also calls herself Nici Wilson). She won an individual silver medal at the 2007 young rider Europeans at Blair Castle riding Oingy Boingy.

There is also a theatre, radio and television writer called Nicola Wilson.