Denis fulfils his role at the first horse inspection at London 2012 Photo courtesy EA
In his 24 year tenure as a vet to the Australian equestrian team, Denis Goulding has accompanied teams to all corners of the globe, providing support to the horses and their riders who have pursued glory on the world sporting stage. As a member of equestrian’s support team he’s celebrated the highlights, shared in the disappointments and made many a tough decision. After looking out for Australia’s top horses for more than two decades, Australia’s longest serving team vet is now taking on a new role – that of mentor.
Having accompanied Australia’s equestrian teams to six Olympic and World Equestrian Games, Denis has amassed a wealth of experience and says he’s looking forward to sharing his knowledge and expertise to a new generation of vets who will follow in his footsteps.
“I’m very passionate about the sport and I’ve been involved in equestrian my whole life so I have developed a certain level of knowledge which I’m looking forward to sharing.
“I’ll continue to work as long as I can because I don’t believe in retiring. I’ve changed what I do but I’m not going to give up what I do. I’m going to continue working locally and will stay part of the Australian equestrian team in the role of vet mentor,” he said.
It was Denis’ early passion for equestrian which determined his career path. As a child he was involved in Show Horse and Pony Club and had a particular interest in eventing. When the 1986 World Eventing Games were held in his home state of South Australia, Denis took the opportunity to get involved and worked as an assistant to the head veterinarian. Four years later he was accompanying Australia to the very first World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden.
“In those days we paid our own way but I wanted to learn more about the sport and see what others in the field were doing so I spent three months before the first WEG in the UK travelling around to shows and meeting other vets. It was a great learning experience.”
Photo courtesy EA
Denis’ involvement with the Australian equestrian team spans six Olympic and six World Equestrian Games.
“Barcelona was my first Olympic Games and it was a marvellous experience but it was so long ago now that it’s a bit of a blur.
“At the time I remember thinking, I’ve got to savour the moment because this might not happen again. Fortunately I was wrong and we got to experience that winning feeling at the next two Olympics.
“Each gold medal has been special but to win one in your own country is rare so it’s hard to look past the team’s achievement at Sydney as the ultimate highpoint.”
Denis says the hardest part about the job was making decisions about the soundness of horses at the last moment.
“As vets we’re there to protect the horse’s welfare and prepare the horse for competition. It’s our job to ensure that the welfare of the horse isn’t compromised in anyway.
In addition to serving as vet of the Australian Equestrian team, in 1997 Denis was appointed as a member of the five person FEI Veterinary Committee, a position which he held for four years. He was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame in 2000 for services to equestrian sport.
Denis will continue to work with the Australian Equestrian Team primarily as a mentor. He also plans to travel with the team to the 2014 World Equestrian Games where he will provide veterinary support to the non-Olympic disciplines.
