Bill Roycroft

Bill Roycroft was an Australian eventing rider and Olympic champion, born on 17 March 1915 in Flowerdale, Victoria, and died on 29 May 2011. He grew up on a dairy farm, served in the army in the Second World War and then settled near Camperdown in western Victoria, where he raised three sons who all went on to compete beside him at the Olympics. At his first Games, Rome in 1960, he played a key role on the final day of the team three day event despite having been thrown from his horse the day before, allowing Australia to win the gold medal. He rode at four more Olympics from 1964 to 1976 and won team eventing bronze medals at Mexico City in 1968 and Montreal in 1976. He later coached the Australian eventing team. Olympedia records that he carried the Australian flag at an opening ceremony.