‘It’s incredible to have qualified’: meet this 41-year-old Burghley first-timer and her horse who ‘loves his humans’

Next week, 41-year-old Nicole Mills is making her Defender Burghley Horse Trials and five-star debut on her own 14-year-old gelding Fearless W (5–8 September).

“I’ve been eventing 24 years and it’s just quite incredible to actually get qualified. I’ve kept at it as I wasn’t very successful riding growing up, but I just love horses and love producing them – it’s addictive,” says Nicole, who is one of the most local riders at this year’s event, with her yard located three miles away.

“My family moved to Wansford when I was four and then I went to Stamford Junior School and Stamford High School and was a member of the Burghley branch of the Pony Club.”

Nicole has many fond memories of Burghley, including Pony Club camps in the park and grooming for Julia Dungworth (née Crowson) when she competed Malaga at the event in 2002.

Nicole explains it was a case of “being in the right place at the right time” when she acquired Fearless W, who is known as Fred at home.

“I bought him as a five-year-old from Tim and Antonia Brown. I was having training with Tim at the time on my other horse and I said to Tim that I would really like another one who was just like him and that if he knew of anything or come across anything, to let me know.

“He rang me and said I think you ought to try this horse. So I booked in but when the day came, it was absolutely hammering it down with rain, so I called Tim and said ‘shall I come today?’ to which he said no, as the horse was a bit sharp.”

When Nicole finally went to try Fred a few days later, she says that she couldn’t steer.

“He wouldn’t turn right – but I jumped a couple of fences and I fell in love with him immediately. I paid for him there and then, bought him without a vetting and took him home. I just adored him.

“Tim had another potential client for him and so he said ‘buy him and keep him, but I have got someone that would like to try him in a couple of weeks when he’s done a bit more work’. I said that was fine, but what if I wanted to keep him? He said ‘if you want to keep him, then keep him’. The client did come and view him and I just said to Tim ‘I’m really sorry, I can’t sell him, I just adore this horse’.”

Nicole says that Fred was “incredibly sharp” as a young horse.

“You always felt like he was about to jump out of the arena because he was tricky to turn and things like that and he was worried about water until he reached intermediate level – before he went cross-country, I used to pour a bucket of water over his front legs to get his legs wet.”

Nicole Mills: “He’s one of the most intelligent horses I’ve come across”

As a character, Nicole explains that Fred is “the most lovely person” with “the most beautiful eyes”.

“I think he is just stunning and he knows who his humans are and he loves them, and his best friend is my other advanced horse.

“If you move too fast around him or you brush him with a brush he doesn’t like, he behaves like you’re electrocuting him and you’re like ‘come on, just because it’s not the goat hair brush, Fred!’ I think he’s one of the most intelligent horses I’ve come across and very sensitive.”

Nicole adds that Fred competes in a snaffle in every phase and although he “over-jumped as a young horse”, he’s improving all the time.

They finished third in the CCI4*-L at Kilguilkey House in Ireland in June 2023 and have a number of CCI4*-L and CCI4*-S completions to their name as they head to Burghley.

“I was very lucky to get him. He’s so special and the places and events I’ve been able to go to with him are amazing. He gives me so much confidence, which I can pass onto my really nice string of younger horses that I have coming through now.”

In terms of Nicole’s goals for this year’s Burghley, she says she will “try her very best to enjoy it”.

“I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself. I’d like him to do a nice test – he does struggle a little bit in that phase – and then obviously everybody wants a clear round across country and he’s a very good showjumper, so I’d be quietly confident that he would jump a good round showjumping.”

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