Sponsored Rider Update: Summer Nicholls’ Year in Australia

Update on sponsored rider Summer Nicholls: A Year in the Saddle Down Under

Sponsored Swiftclean rider Summer Nicholls embraced 2025 as a year of adventure, challenge, and professional growth, trading familiarity for opportunity as she set her sights on Australia.

Keen to broaden her skill set and immerse herself in new environments, Summer threw herself into every experience the Australian equestrian scene had to offer, determined to return home not only as a stronger rider, but as a more complete horsewoman.

Her journey began on a remote Australian ranch, where Summer worked mustering cattle on horseback. Days were spent covering vast distances, managing livestock, and adapting to a more Western style of riding, a sharp contrast to her background of eventing! Alongside ranch work, she was also responsible for bringing a team of polo ponies up to peak fitness ahead of the competitive season, sharpening her eye for conditioning and performance.

Later in the year, Summer relocated to a showjumping yard just outside Sydney. There, she focused on riding young showjumping horses, playing a key role in their training and preparation for competition. Drawing on her strong eventing foundation, she helped produce confident, careful horses while refining her own technical skills in a high-performance jumping environment.

From cattle mustering to showjumping arenas, Summer’s year in Australia was defined by versatility, hard work, and growth, experiences that continue to shape her development as a well-rounded, professional rider. As she looks ahead to the next chapter of her career, the lessons learned across ranches and arenas alike will undoubtedly influence her approach, reinforcing the resilience, adaptability, and horsemanship that underpin long-term success in the saddle.