MARLBOROUGH-BASED eventer Andrew Nicholson has revealed his intention to return to competition next year after making a full recovery from his horror fall at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe earlier this month.

The New Zealander, 54, fell while riding Cillnabradden Evo in the cross-country section, suffering severe neck injuries that required treatment and surgery at Swindon's Great Western Hospital and the John Radcliffe, in Oxford.

"The (spinal) surgeon who did the job (Jeremy Reynolds) said to me before surgery after the MRI scan that 99 percent of the patients he operates on don't have scans like mine, and that they are totally paralysed. He was trying to prepare me for the worst," Nicholson told New Zealand website Newstalk ZB.

"Even them I still was very confident I was going to be all right. Mr Reynolds is a very clever man and there was something about him that made me feel very confident in him.

"The next morning after the surgery I was out of bed walking around, moving everything. The worst thing is my voice."

Nicholson, a multiple silver and bronze team medallist at the Olympics added: "No one really realised quite how bad it was.

"I'm not a big fan of hospitals. I try to put up with as much pain as I can to avoid going to hospital. (But) I knew in myself something felt more abnormal than normal when I fell.

"It wasn't till I got into the hospital and they did the first scan that they saw how bad the break was and advised me not to dare move. (They) explained how serious it was.

"But at no stage did it go through my mind I'd be paralysed, even though they told me they couldn't believe I could walk, let alone move my limbs. I was always very confident I wouldn't be paralysed.

"It's strange what the mind can do.

"I'm all focused now on when the season starts again in March. I'll be there ready and up and running. They've told me not to ride for three months. The majority of my horses have been turned out for the next three months and they'll all come back in November to get ready for the next season."

Nicholson said retiring from the sport had never crossed his mind.

"It's my life and passion. It was one of those things -- you're living on the edge. I was up to the last fence, and if the horse had jumped it like he had jumped all the rest he would have won the class easily.

"That's what it's all about -- it's why we do it."