Gillian (England) Rolton AM (1956 - 2017)

Born 3 May 1956 in South Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Died 18 Nov 2017 at age 61 in North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Biography

Gillian (England) Rolton AM is Notable.

Gillian won gold for Australia at the Olympic Games (Barcelona, 1992 & Atlanta, 1996)

Gillian Rolton was a two-time Australian equestrian Olympic champion. She is most well known for her courageous ride at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, when she twice fell from her horse during the endurance event, then remounted, completing the remaining three kilometres of the grueling course with a fractured clavicle and ribs, a punctured lung, and unable to use her left arm.

Early Life

Born on 3 May 1956 to builder Lloyd England and his second wife, Esme Broadbent, Gillian was raised in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, in South Australia, with a brother, John, who was ten years older. Desirous of having her own horse from a young age, Gillian would not be deterred from making her wish come true. Her parents encouraged her to undertake piano classes, athletics, tennis, golf, netball, softball, and dancing, all of which she found uninspiring.^[1]

Gillian got her first horse at the age of 10 and soon began riding competitively.^[2] She was educated at Woodlands Church of England Girls' Grammar School at Glenelg but left there in year 10 after being told to cut her fingernails. A chronic nail biter, she had been promised a new saddle for Christmas if she didn't chew her nails, so she flatly refused to cut them and completed her secondary schooling at Marion High School.^[1]

After completing year 12 Gillian entered Sturt College of Advanced Education, where she studied education, with the aim of becoming a teacher. Using money that she was awarded as compensation following a vehicle accident, Gillian went to the United States in 1975 to become a qualified riding instructor.^[3] Before departing, she bought her first event horse Saville Row, for $200.^[2][4]

Equestrian Competition

After returning to Australia, Gillian rode Saville Row at the 1978 Royal Adelaide Show, taking the prize for Champion Lady Rider.^[4] She began competing internationally in 1984 but missed out on qualifying for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games because Saville Row was injured.^[2]

Gillian competed at the 1986 International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) World Equestrian Games on Benton's Way, where the Australian team came third. She missed Olympic selection in 1988 after she dislocated her elbow before the final selection trial.^[2]

In 1987 Gillian bought her horse Peppermint Grove, call name Freddy, for $2,000, and began competing with him after she retired Benton's Way following their victory at the 1988 Australian Championships. Gillian was a last-minute inclusion in the Australian Olympic team in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympic Games. The Australian equestrian team won the gold medal, making Gillian the first Australian female to win an equestrian medal.^[2][5][6]

Gillian Rolton on Peppermint Grove

Gillian won the Australian Championships again in 1995 and was selected in the team for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. The Australians were on the brink of winning the gold medal when Peppermint Grove skidded during the endurance event, causing Gillian to fall off. She remounted, unaware that she had broken her collarbone and ribs, but found herself unable to use her left arm. At the next jump, Gillian somersaulted into the water but remounted again. She now had difficulty breathing as her lung was punctured. She held on, riding Peppermint Grove over another 15 jumps for an excruciating 3 kilometres (1.9 miles). She was taken to hospital but refused painkillers in case she had to ride the next day. Fortunately, she did not have to, and the Australian team won gold.^[2][5][6] Gillian later said of her inspirational ride, "You don't go to the Games to be a wuss, you don't go to the Games to be a wimp, you go to the Games because you've got get through those finish flags no matter what."^[7]

Gillian's amazing gold medal ride at 1996 Atlanta Olympics

Post-Competition

Riding a new, inexperienced horse, Endeavour, Gillian failed to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics but was chosen as one of the eight flag-bearers of the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony.^[2][6] Following the 2000 Olympics, Gillian retired from competition and opened her own riding school.^[8] Between 2001 and 2007 she initiated, co-ordinated and coached the Mitsubishi National Young Rider Squad, which helped talented young eventing riders to make the transition to senior level. Gillian also helped establish the National Interschools Program. She was a national selector until 2007, when she stood down in order to become an FEI judge. She served on the grand jury at the 2012 London Olympics, and was President of the Grand Jury at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games.^[9]

Later Life

In 2015 Gillian was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and chemotherapy failed to control the disease. She was admitted to the Mary Potter Hospice in North Adelaide in September 2017 and died there on 18 November 2017, survived by her husband, fellow rider Greg Rolton, whom she had married in September 1985.^{[2][6][10][11]} They had no children. Gillian was cremated at Centennial Park, Pasadena.^[12]

At the time of her death, Gillian was Event Director of the Australian International Three Day Event held in Adelaide, a position that she had held for ten years. She had continued working on it from her hospital bed.^[13]

Recognition

Gillian was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the 1993 Australia Day honours "for service to sport as a gold medallist in the equestrian three-day event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games".^[14]

In 2000, Gillian was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.^[15] She was inducted into the South Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 2010, and in 2016 was elevated to legend status alongside Sir Donald Bradman, Bart Cummings, Barrie Robran and Victor Richardson.^[16] She was inducted into the Equestrian Australia Hall of Fame for her service to the sport in 2016.^[17] In 2017, she was granted Adelaide's highest honour with the keys to the city.^[5]

In January 2018, Gillian was posthumously made a Member of the Order of Australia "For significant service to horse sports through roles with a range of national and international equestrian organisations".^[18]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Rolton, Gillian, Chapter 1.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7} Gillian Rolton AM Equestrian. (Sport Australia Hall of Fame, https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/gillian-rolton/ : accessed 19 Jul 2021)
3. ↑ Rolton, Gillian, Chapter 2.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Rolton, Gillian, pp 60-62.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Biography Gillian Rolton (Olympic Games, https://olympics.com/en/athletes/gillian-rolton : accessed 19 Jul 2021)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Dual Olympic gold medallist Rolton dies. Published online 18 Nov 2017. (SBS News, https://www.sbs.com.au/news/dual-olympic-gold-medallist-rolton-dies : accessed 19 Jul 2021)
7. ↑ Coleman, Matt. Equestrian great Gillian Rolton dies of cancer. Published online 18 Nov 2017. (ABC News, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-18/equestrian-great-gillian-rolton-dies-of-cancer/9165278 : accessed 19 Jul 2021)
8. ↑ Rolton, Gillian, pp 291-293.
9. ↑ Vale Gill Rolton OAM (Equestrian Australia, https://www.equestrian.org.au/news/vale-gill-rolton-oam : accessed 19 Jul 2021)
10. ↑ Gillian Rolton (1956-2017) Dual Olympic equestrian gold medallist. The Last Post, Issue 22, ANZAC Day 2020, pp12-13. (Issuu, https://issuu.com/kirstiewyatt/docs/edition_22_-_tlp_anzac_day_2020_-web : accessed 19 Jul 2021)
11. ↑ Rolton, Gillian, Chapter 7.
12. ↑ Cremation Record (Centennial Park Cemetery, Pasadena, https://www.centennialpark.org/memorial-search/ : accessed 19 Jul 2021) database entry for Rolton, Gillian (Birth Date: 3 May 1956, Death Date: 18 Nov 2017, Cremation Date: 28 Nov 2017, Last Abode: Chandlers Hill).
13. ↑ Homfray, Reece. State funeral offer as equestrian great and dual Olympic gold medallist Gillian Rolton dies aged 61. Published online 19 Nov 2017. (Adelaide Now, https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/equestrian-great-and-dual-olympic-gold-medallist-gillian-rolton-passes-away-at-the-age-of-61/news-story/6f034347a8a16b37062419777f9fa582 : accessed 19 Jul 2021)
14. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Government of Australia. (Australian Honours Search Facility, https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/887050 : accessed 18 July 2021) Medal of the Order of Australia awarded to Gillian ROLTON of Happy Valley, SA. Date: 26 January 1993.
15. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Government of Australia. (Australian Honours Search Facility, https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/969709 : accessed 18 July 2021) Australian Sports Medal awarded to Gillian ROLTON OAM of Happy Valley, SA. Date: 24 October 2000.
16. ↑ South Australia Sport Hall of Fame (Sport SA, https://www.sportsa.org.au/about/history-sa-sport-hall-of-fame/ : accessed 18 Jul 2021)
17. ↑ Hall of Fame. Gill Rolton. (Equestrian Australia, https://www.equestrian.org.au/halloffame/gill-rolton : accessed 19 Jul 2021)
18. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Government of Australia. (Australian Honours Search Facility, URL : accessed 19 July 2021) Member of the Order of Australia awarded to the late Gillian ROLTON OAM of Happy Valley, SA. Date: 26 January 2018.

• Rolton, Gillian. Free Rein: The Autobiography of an Olympic Heroine. Sydney, NSW: HarperSports, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-7304-9336-5.
• Wikidata: Item Q275533, en:Wikipedia
• Wikipedia: Gillian Rolton