HAVING almost missed out on the opportunity to claim an Olympic silver medal at London 2012, Nicola Wilson is determined to use next month’s European Eventing Championships to ensure she is not left sweating on her place at next year’s Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Wilson, who is from Morton-on-Swale, near Northallerton, was part of the British team eventing squad that won silver in London, but having initially been named as a reserve, the 38-year-old was only handed an Olympic spot when Piggy French was forced to withdraw because of an injury to her horse, DHI Topper.

Britain’s second-place finish at last year’s World Equestrian Games has guaranteed a place in the team event in Rio, but the make-up of the squad will not be finalised until later next year and the competition between the nation’s leading riders is intense.

Wilson has been selected as one of 12 British riders for next month’s European Championships at Blair Castle, and will form part of the team line-up on One Two Many.

Her performance in Scotland could go a long way towards determining her Olympic fate, with the likes of William Fox-Pitt, Pippa Funnell, Laura Collett and Oliver Townend also hoping to use the event to impress the selectors and force their way up the pecking order.

“I remember coming away from London after everything that had happened, and thinking, ‘I have to do everything I can to make it to Rio’,” said Wilson. “The experience of competing at an OIympics was just phenomenal, and once you’ve had a taste of it, you just want more.

“It makes you even hungrier to get to the next Games, but back in 2012, it was impossible to say whether that was a realistic possibility or not.

“There are so many variables – how are your younger horses going to train on and develop, are you still going to be in the same shape, how much are the rest of the team going to improve over the course of three or four years?

“A lot has happened since then, but qualifying an Olympic place was obviously a big development and now it’s all about doing everything you can to make sure you’re on the team.

“You can only do your best and hope that’s good enough to get you to where you want to go. The sport is so strong at the minute, and we all know we’re going to have to fight for our place on the team. That’s a healthy place to be in, and it should guarantee that the team that is eventually selected is really strong.”    

Back in 2012, Wilson was partnering Opposition Buzz, the cross-country expert who helped elevate her to the very highest level of eventing.

Opposition Buzz was retired in 2014, but One Two Many and Annie Clover, who has been named as a reserve for the European Championships, have rapidly developed into two of the most exciting and consistent horses in the country.

One Two Many won last year’s Scottish Open, finished seventh at this year’s Badminton, and helped Wilson finish last season in fourth position in British Eventing’s top 100 rider rankings.

Whereas Opposition Buzz was a cross-country specialist, whose weakness in dressage limited his value in the team environment, One Two Many is much more of an all-rounder, making him an attractive proposition as the British selectors attempt to assemble a team capable of withstanding the rigours of Olympic competition.

The Northern Echo: IN CONTROL: Nicola Wilson riding One Too Many competes in the CCI3* dressage event at Bramham International Horse Trials last weekend

“Opposition Buzz was absolutely incredible for me, but his Achilles heel was definitely the dressage,” said Wilson. “Hopefully, with both One Two Many and Annie Clover, you’re looking at two all-rounders who don’t really have a major weakness in any particular area.

“They’ve been consistently good in all three disciplines over the last year or so, and when you’re talking about putting a team together, hopefully that consistency will be seen as a valuable asset.”

Wilson’s extensive experience in the saddle should also be a key factor when it comes to selecting the five-strong team for Rio, and having made a late surge to make the team for 2012, the Olympic medallist is confident she is a better rider now than she was in the build-up to the London Games.

She has suffered an injury-hit year, with a broken collarbone having ruled her out of the first part of the season, but feels her experience, along with the support of UK Sport, means she has returned at the peak of her powers.

“The start of the season had to be delayed after the fall, and that was a difficult time because you never want to be missing things a year or so out from Olympic selection,” said Wilson.

“The recovery went well though, and I’m delighted with the way the rest of the season has gone. The horses have performed brilliantly and we’ve had some really pleasing results.

“In the past, perhaps I might have panicked a bit more but that’s where your experience comes in. I knew I’d get back as long I did my recovery work, and the Team GB support network was fantastic in terms of coming up and helping out with the horses.

“That all helped, and now I feel ready to give it my best shot to try to make Rio. I’ll have three more years of experience under my belt since London, and that has to make you a better rider. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to prove that at the OIympics.”