So you want to go to the Games?

By Dr Kerry Mack

Wasn’t it wonderful to be able to watch all the equestrian events at the Olympics. And then the announcement that the 2032 Olympics will be in Brisbane. What a combination to excite the dreams and imagination of young Aussie equestrians. Only 11 years to go...

By 2032, many of the old guard of Olympic contenders, the experienced Olympians of this era, will have hung up their boots and helmets and a new generation of Olympians will represent us. So you want to go to the Games? It’s not all rainbows and unicorns, that’s for sure. It’s damn hard work, dedication, focus and sacrifice. “You must be willing to walk over broken glass,” says Mary Hanna, one of our most experienced Olympians.

Wendy Schaeffer-Macdonald lived the dream of taking her Pony Club horse Sunburst to the Olympics and winning a gold medal. In fact, if it weren’t for changes in the rules she would have won both team and individual gold medals. Sunburst had come second to last at the Birdsville Races before he was bought for 11-year-old Wendy by her mother, Di, herself an Australian representative eventing rider. Wendy says that to get to the Games, “You must really believe in yourself, even if you are a bit arrogant. You must have energy, and motivation and follow a plan..."

Read the full article in the September issue of Equestrian Life magazine here.