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
