Rome equestrian champion Bill Roycroft dies aged 96

Australian Bill Roycroft, who checked himself out of hospital and competed with a broken collarbone while suffering from concussion to ensure his country won an equestrian gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics, has died aged 96.

Roycroft, who died on Sunday, had been injured in the cross country section of the three-day eventing competition in Rome when his horse, Our Solo, somersaulted while attempting a jump and fell on him.

"I was just lying there for some time and when I come to, I said 'Where's my bloody horse?' and he was standing alongside me," Roycroft said of the incident in a 1998 interview.

"I wasn't feeling any pain. You know, it was just the heat of the moment. Anyhow a bit of pain's nothing. I wouldn't be worried about that, you know."

Roycroft, who was 45 at the time and competing in his first Olympics, completed the section and was given whisky to drink by American competitors before he was taken by helicopter to hospital.

While Italian doctors told him he would need to spend at least "three to four days" in hospital and had taken all of his clothing, Roycroft, aware the fourth member of the team's horse had pulled up lame, threatened to leave in just his underpants and discharged himself to ensure Australia had three riders in the final showjumping round.

"If I hadn't ridden there would have been no gold, no team gold medal. Because you have to have three finish on that final day to get any medal," Roycroft said.

Riding with one arm and dosed on painkillers, he completed a clear round, jumping 12 fences, and won Australia their first Olympic equestrian gold medal.

"The show jumping took about a minute. Once they ring the bell for you to go, the show jumping itself takes about a minute," he added.

"Well for God's sake if you can't stand a bit of pain for a minute, there's something wrong with you, isn't it?

"We had a party that night. We did, and we probably drank a bit too much that night.

"I used my left hand, because my right one wasn't terribly good, but I seemed to get on pretty well with that left hand then."

Roycroft took part in four other Olympics and competed alongside three of his sons, Barry, Wayne and Clarke, and won  team bronze in 1968 and 1976.

At Montreal in 1976, he became Australia's oldest medallist and competitor at 61 years, 31 days.