Wayne Roycroft will host a walk around the Bates Saddles CCI4*-L cross country course on Saturday 7 May at 9am. This is an exciting opportunity for any eventing enthusiast or anyone who would like to gain insight into the highest levels of the sport from a living legend.

Participants will learn how the elite riders negotiate the jumps and what factors will influence difficulty at each particular jump. This is the best way to see the course and appreciate the technicalities and challenges faced by riders and horses. It will also enhance you ability to recognise the skills used as you watch the riders.

Following the course there will be a short tour through the stables.

With over 40 years contributing to Australian Eventing at an elite level Wayne Roycroft needs no introduction. The Australian Eventing Team has achieved 14 Olympic medals in total and Wayne was directly involved with 8 of them. During his appointment as the National Coach from 1988 to 2010, Wayne proved to be one of Australia’s most successful Olympic coaches. In that time Australia won three successive Olympic team gold medals; Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 and Silver at the 2008 Beijing Games. Two individual medals were also achieved (Gold by Matt Ryan in Barcelona and Silver by Andrew Hoy in Sydney). Before his coaching days Wayne was a three-time Olympian and won two bronze medals.

In addition to his coaching commitments, Wayne was a visionary for the sport of Eventing. In 2000 he was elected as Chairman of the FEI Eventing Committee, a position he held for nine years. Wayne was also a driving force in the Australia Talent Search program and a mentor to Australian Sports Commission scholarship coaches to help develop emerging coaches for the future. Wayne also served for many years as the Chair of Equestrian NSW and Equestrian Australia.

Everyone is invited to attend the course walk which will leave from the front of the stables at 9:00am on Saturday 7 May. No bookings are required.