'I'm not a quitter' - Nicola Wilson on being awarded MBE three years after horrific Badminton fall

Being made an MBE has come more than a decade after the life-long equestrian won gold at the World Equestrian Games and a silver medal at the London Olympics, but just four since she became European champion on her beloved JL Dublin.

Nevertheless, it’s clear the "services to Sport” honour is also aimed at what British Eventing describes as “inspiring, humbling and a lesson to all in overcoming adversity”. It was while riding bay gelding Dublin that 48-year-old Nicola, who is based at Danby Wiske, Northallerton and whose mother was mother was master of the Bedale Hunt, suffered a competition career ending fall at Badminton Horse Trials in 2022.

She said: “It is incredibly humbling and a massive honour. I certainly didn’t see this coming. I want to thank everybody who has helped me on my journey through life, with the horses, with competing, but also, more importantly, since my accident. None of this would be possible without a fantastic husband in Alastair, supportive family and the wider equestrian community. Wider than that the medics, the physios, the occupational therapists and just the kindness of human beings.

"We’re all thrown curveballs in our lives to overcome.

"I’ve had a few hurdles in my life, but I have to say after the fall at Badminton when I broke my neck, and more influentially the damage to my spinal cord, which left me paralysed from the neck down, I have been incredibly lucky that it was an incomplete injury to my spinal cord.

"I have regained movement in my body and feeling, but I will never be back to where I was. I do feel very fortunate that I can have a quality of life with my husband, be able to stand on my feet and be able to earn a living which when I was lying in a hospital not being able to move or feel anything for quite a few months you do doubt and wonder how life is going to turn out.

"To have those things is a dream come true for me.”

Nicola’s riding career also saw her crowned British National Champion win numerous top ten five-star placings at Badminton, Burghley, Lexington and Pau, as well as a first place at the Scottish Open Championships on four occasions.

However, she says one of hardest challenges she had overcome since the accident had been letting go her dreams of going “one step better” with JL Dublin at the Paris Olympics than she did with Opposition Buzz at the London Olympics.

She said: "When I was in hospital I immediately knew my riding career had come to an end and came to terms with that. The owners of the horses that I rode were amazing and helped find their next riders to take over from me.

"The one thing I knew that would kill me was Dublin going to the Paris Olympics with his new rider.

"I had two years to come to terms with that, but I would have been an absolute fool if I hadn’t spent those two years getting around the fact that he most probably would be going to the Olympics, so when he was selected by then I was 100 per cent behind him going with his lovely new rider Tom McEwen.

"I could not be more delighted for Dublin’s owners, Jamie and Jo Lambert and Deidre Johnston.”

She said she was thrilled to be still involved with Britsh Equestrian, last year becoming the national performance coach for the youth programme.

Nicola, who is also currently coaching some elite riders ahead of Badminton, added: “It’s fantastic to be part of a team working towards something and still be able to be involved with horses and riders.

"Last year was the first time in five years that the pony team brought home a team medal at the European Championships and it was lovely to be a small part of that.

"I feel vulnerable around a horse, but to be able to coach and be involved and support someone else to realise their dreams would be my new dream.”

Reacting to the honour, RDA Unicorn Centre, a charity providing horse riding and equine therapy for children and adults with additional needs in the Teesside area for which Nicola is patron, said: “We're proud to know her, truly deserved.”

Asked about her future plans, Nicola said: “I’m definitely not a quitter and I’ll always try to find a way to do my best to find a way over, under or round a hurdle. None of this would be possible without my husband.

"I’ve put him through hell and back and he’s doing way more jobs for me than he ever thought he’d do when he said at the altar 'I do’.

"On my tin it definitely says I should be in the corner lane, but I’m definitely going from middle to fast lane at the moment.“