When Nicole Met: Andy Heffernan

Andy Heffernan didn't grow up in horses, and he didn't have an obvious path into the sport. What started with a riding school in England quickly turned into something more, and from there he built a career the hard way, riding whatever horses he could, learning on the job, and figuring out how to make it work. That journey has taken him to the Olympics, into coaching the Dutch team, and now into course design at some of the biggest events in the world. In this episode, he reflects on building a business, balancing multiple roles at the top of the sport, and what it takes to keep progressing in an ever-changing landscape. Highlights A non-horsey start and the path into eventing Building a career through producing and selling horses Coaching the Dutch team and preparing for championships The realities of course design and managing pressure The future of five-star and the pathway through the sport Guests Andy Heffernan - Dutch team coach, Olympic event rider, and international cross-country course designer. This show is kindly supported by Bedmax , purpose-made, natural horse bedding designed to protect respiratory health, support hooves, and provide a clean, comfortable stable environment.

You can listen to When Nicole Met: Andy Heffernan online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

When Nicole Met: Andy Heffernan is an episode from EquiRatings Eventing Podcast by Diarmuid Byrne.

This episode is 41:49 long.

This episode was published on Apr 10, 2026.

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