Nicolas WETTSTEIN, Ecuadorean Eventing athlete.
Name | Nicolas WETTSTEIN |
FEI ID | 10007333 |
Gender | Male |
Date of Birth | 30/03/1981 |
Competing for | Ecuador - ECU |
Registrations |
Eventing 2025
Jumping 2014 |
Last update | 17/07/2024 |
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Sport Specific Information | |
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When and where did you begin this sport? | He began riding at age four, and took up the sport seriously at age 12. |
Why this sport? | He got his love for equestrian sport from his parents, who were both amateur riders. He initially competed in jumping before moving on to eventing. "I wanted to compete at the Olympic Games after watching the 1988 edition in Seoul on television at age seven. At that time I also got involved in tennis and athletics, so my parents told me to choose one sport that I would focus on. I like the fact that [eventing] is more physical, not only for the horse but also for the rider." |
Club / Team | Ecurie Framoni: France |
Training Regime | He does cardio and fitness training alongside riding. |
General Interest | |
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Hobbies | Travelling. (Saga Creativa YouTube channel, 19 Jul 2021) |
Injuries | He required surgery on a broken left hand in September 2017. He had screws inserted into his hand, which were removed in December 2018. (Facebook profile, 04 Dec 2018; Facebook page, 06 Sep 2017) |
Famous relatives | His father Frank represented Switzerland in eventing at international competitions. His mother Monique Deyme has served as his jumping and cross-country coach, and has been head of the legal and veterinary department at the International Equestrian Federation [FEI]. (Monique Deyme Facebook profile, 11 Dec 2022; nicolas-wettstein.com, 07 Aug 2021, 03 Sep 2020) |
Ambitions | To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (primicias.ec, 17 Jul 2021) |
Other information | NATIONALITY His father is Swiss and his mother is French. He became eligible to represent Ecuador as his ex-wife was Ecuadorian, and he began competing for the South American nation in 2012. He previously represented Switzerland and was a substitute for the country at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He also represented France in junior competitions. "The mentality [in Ecuador] is very different, and I love it, without being critical of Switzerland. I really fell in love with the character of the country, and all the parts of it. I've made a lot of great friends. The team atmosphere we have in South American countries is very different than in Europe. I will finish my days in Ecuador for sure." (horseandhound.co.uk, 16 Sep 2022; Saga Creativa YouTube channel, 19 Jul 2021; elcomercio.com, 01 Jun 2021; chronofhorse.com, 03 Aug 2019; ouest-france.fr, 15 Aug 2017; eltelegrafo.com.ec, 06 Aug 2016; nicolas-wettstein.com, 11 May 2014) BALANCING WORK AND SPORT Alongside riding, he serves as chief executive officer [CEO] of a natural pharmaceutical company in Geneva, Switzerland. He says he has considered becoming a full-time equestrian, but decided to maintain his career alongside competing. "I have thought about riding as a professional and there are positives and negatives. But my parents were also amateur riders who worked full-time, and so I have this as an example. Competitions are my holidays and I work my horses before going to work, so wake up at 05:00. Then I do fitness or cardio after work." (LinkedIn profile, 23 Dec 2022; horseandhound.co.uk, 16 Sep 2022, 01 Aug 2021) STABLES He and his parents established Team Framoni Stud in France, where they are dedicated to horse breeding and training. (nicolas-wettstein.com, 17 Sep 2022; Monique Deyme Facebook profile, 10 Dec 2019; eventingnation.com, 05 Aug 2016) FURTHER EDUCATION He has a degree in hotel management from the Hotel School of Lausanne in Switzerland. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Jan 2017) |
Milestones | He was chosen to compete for Ecuador in Eventing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In 2015 he became the first rider representing Ecuador to compete at the Badminton Horse Trials in England. (badminton-horse.co.uk, 08 May 2015) |
Further Personal Information | |
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Family | Partner Diane, son Milo [2022] |
Residence | Geneva, SUI |
Occupation | Athlete, Executive, Pharmaceutical Professional |
Languages | English, French, German, Spanish, Swiss-German |
Higher education | Economics - University of Fribourg: Switzerland |