Feature Story

Our proud Olympic history  

The 1968 Mexico Games were the beginning of a "family affair" for the Australian Equestrian Team. For the first time a father and son competed together in an Olympic Team. Wayne Roycroft riding Zhivago made his Olympic debut in the Eventing Team alongside his father Bill who was riding Warrathoola. Together with team members Brian Cobcroft on Depeche, and James Scanlon riding Furtive, the Eventing Team won the Bronze Medal, behind the British and the Americans. 

 “On cross-country day there was a down-pour and the course flooded, we had to ride through a very flooded creek and I think some riders were actually washed off their horses. With this in mind, we entered the creek very close to the red flag and the current washed us downstream so we came out next to the white flag!”
Cobcroft’s horse Depeche was only six-years-old, the youngest horse to ever represent Australia at an Olympic Games.

The Australian Jumping Team, consisting of Kevin Bacon on Chichester, John Fahey and Bonvale and Sam Campbell on April Love, finished a respectable ninth place.