07/01/2025
Regal Reign – one horse, three Olympics
Who said there’s no career for thoroughbreds after their racing days are over? Regal Reign was foaled in 1969, and after a short racing career he began life as an equestrian horse with Ian McDonald before being sold to Merv Bennett.
Merv Bennett of Worrigee, Nowra (NSW), became one of Australia’s top level equestrians. With Regal Reign, he represented Australia in the Three Day Event at the 1976 Montreal Olympics (bronze; 12th individually), 1980 Fontainebleau alternative Olympics (bronze, 6th individually) , 1982 Luhmuhlen World Championships and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics (fifth, and 19th individually). One horse. Three Olympics and a World Championship!
Thoroughbreds like Regal Reign proved to be great eventers, fast and tough across country. The Europeans on their heavy warmbloods took notice. In these years, the Australian horses were usually young – often six year olds – which showed not only their calibre, but the talent of our riders, to do so well on relatively inexperienced horses.
Australian horses were often sold overseas to help with travel expenses. After Montreal (1976), Regal Reign was due to be sold in Canada. However, his home town of Nowra rallied and raised money to fly him home.
The 1976 bronze medal team was Bill Roycroft and Version, Wayne Roycroft and Laurenson, Mervyn Bennett and Regal Reign and Denis Pigott and Hillstead. The whole team were received as heroes upon their return to Australia. The Australian Olympic team collectively won just one silver medal and four bronze medals in Montreal so the eventing team’s victory was a significant achievement. This 1976 Montreal bronze medal winning eventing team was inducted into the Equestrian Hall of Fame in 2013.
In 1980 the Australian eventing team scored bronze again, at the Alternative Olympics at Fontainbleau, France, where most of the top equestrian nations chose to compete rather than Moscow. Here the team was Merv Bennett and Regal Realm, Wayne Roycroft and Clouseau, Philippa Glennan and Rangefinder and Andrew Hoy and Davey.
Merv’s horses always had the prefix 'Regal'. Regal Realm (bred and part owned by Sir Alec Creswick) was sold to the UK’s Lucinda Green. In 1982, Lucinda and Regal Realm represented Britain at the Eventing World Championships in Luhmühlen, where they won the individual gold medal, and were part of the gold medal winning team.
It is fitting that when Merv Bennett, OAM, retired from international competition in 1987, he moved into training racehorses and became even more involved in his community and equestrian administration. He earned his OAM for service to equestrian sports as a competitor, coach and event coordinator. He also received the Australian Sports Medal in 2000, was an Olympic selector 1987-1993, and the Gold Badge of Honour, Federation Equestre Internationale, 2004.
It’s true that without Merv, Regal Reign would probably not have reached the heights he did. It says a lot about Merv’s talent and his support team’s horsemastership that Regal Reign stayed sound and performed so well at international level, including three Olympics, over many years.
For an OTT (off the track) promotional story about a racehorse’s ‘second career’ you could hardly think of any better horse!
* This link below shows rare footage of the Montreal (Bromont) Olympic three day event, narrated by Richard Meade (UK) - No luxuries here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31dlhFlgmbA
