Wayne Roycroft

Wayne Roycroft

Wayne Roycroft, born in 1946, is a three-time Olympian; 1968, 1976 and 1984 (also selected for Moscow in 1980, which was boycotted) winning two team bronze medals, Mexico (placing 8th individually) and Montreal (5th individually). Wayne was the flag bearer for Australia at the 1984 Los Angeles Games opening ceremony, making history after his father Bill had the same honour in 1968.

Wayne won the team bronze medals at the World Championships in Gawler and the alternate1980 Games in Fontainbleau.

Wayne was a reserve rider for the show jump team at the Mexico Olympic Games and represented Australia in Nations’ Cups. Wayne won Australian Championships in 3 disciplines, Eventing, Show jumping and Polocrosse and he also rode in the Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeplechase.

When Wayne turned his hand to coaching, he became one of Australia’s most accomplished and successful coaches – in any sport. He was instrumental in one of the greatest moments in Australian Equestrian history – winning an Olympic team gold on home soil. Under Wayne’s guidance the Australian Eventing Team achieved outstanding Olympic results, Seoul 4th , Barcelona team Gold & individual Gold , Atlanta team Gold, Sydney team Gold & individual Silver, Athens team 5th, Hong Kong team Silver. Wayne also coached Australia to team bronze and individual silver medals at the Aachen World Equestrian Games. The Australian Eventing Team has achieved 11 Olympic medals in total. Wayne has been directly involved with 8 of them.

In addition to his coaching commitments, Roycroft has been a visionary for the sport of Eventing. In 2000 he was elected as Chairman of the FEI Eventing Committee, a position he was to hold for nine years. In 2002 the future of Eventing at the Olympic Games was under threat. Roycroft, supported by an FEI delegation, was instrumental in revising the format to the satisfaction of the International Olympic Committee.

A tireless contributor Roycroft also served many years as the Chair of Equestrian NSW and Equestrian Australia

Major Career Achievements

OLYMPICS                                                                                                           Horse

Mexico City      3 Day Event Team           Bronze Medal Best Aus Individual          Zhivago  6yrs

Mexico City      Show Jumping Team      Fourth individual                                   Aloomba

Montreal          3 Day Event Team           Bronze Medal Best Aus individual         Laurenson 6yrs

Fontainbleau (Alternate Olympics)         Bronze Medal Best Aus Individual          Clouseau

Los Angeles      3 Day Event Team            Team Fourth                                       Regal Monarch 

Los Angeles Australian Olympic Team Captain and Flag Bearer at the Opening Ceremony

Olympic Coaching Achievements    

Seoul             Head Coach Eventing Team       4th

Barcelona      Team Gold Individual Gold                

Atlanta         Team Gold                                                   

Sydney         Team Gold Individual Silver      

Athens         Team 5th Placing

Beijing         Team Silver

World Championships and International Events

Gawler  Eventing Team  Bronze Medal - Valdez

Head Coach Australian Eventing Team Aachen Bronze Medal  Individual Silver        

New Zealand Australian Show Jumping Team Tour 1966 - Alfred P Doolittle

Australian Polocross Championships “A” Grade Team  Gold - Fizz

Australian Polocross Championships A Grade Championships Best and Fairest - Fizz

Australian Show Jumping Championships 1968 Winner - Aloomba

Australian Showjumping Team

New York USA Nations Cup Show Jumping - Hedge Hopper

Toronto Canada Nations Cup Show Jumping - Hedge Hopper

Events

Wembley U.K Nations Cup S/J  - Stocks Club

Dublin Ireland Nations Cup - Stocks Club

Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeplechase England -  Furtive

Australian Eventing Champion Gawler - Version

Sydney 3 Day Event First Place - Zhivago

Sydney 3 Day Event First Place  - Harley

Sydney 3 Day Event First Place  - Noggin

Sydney 3 Day Event First Place - Harvest Gold

Sydney 3 Day Event First and Second Place - Harvest Gold and Clouseau

Gawler 3 Day Event First Place - Kingdom

Gawler 3 Day Event First Place -  Furtive

Gawler 3 Day Event First Place - Version

Gawler 3 Day Event First Place - Valdez

Melbourne 3 Day Event First Place - Valiant Megs

Further Achievements

Australian Coaching Council Coach Of The Year 1996

Sports Australia Team Of The Year 2000

EA Coach Of The Year 2006

EA Coach Of The Year 2008

Member Australian Hall Of Fame

Member NSW Hall Of Fame

Chairman NSW EA

Chairman Australia EA

Chairman World Cup Showjumping

Board Member Olympic Coordination Authority Sydney Olympic Games

Chairman F.E.I. Eventing Board

Bureau Member F.E.I.

Life Member F.E.I. Bureau

Most Influential People

Mavis and Bill Roycroft, wonderful Parents

Laurie Morgan he showed me another World.

Most Memorable

Standing on the Olympic Rostrum with Dad at Mexico and Montreal Olympics

Being Flag Bearer at the Los Angeles Games

Having the priviledge to present the Gold medals to my own Team at the 2000 Sydney Olypics as F.E.I. Chairman of Eventing

STATE BRANCHES