Neale Lavis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Neale Lavis |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Neale John Lavis | ||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  Australia |
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| Discipline | Eventing | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 June 1930 Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Died | 6 October 2019 (aged 89) Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia |
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Medal record
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Neale John Lavis (born June 11, 1930 – died October 6, 2019) was a famous Australian horse rider. He was an Olympic champion in a sport called eventing. Eventing is like a triathlon for horses and riders. It tests their skills in three different areas: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.
Olympic Success
Neale Lavis competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy. This was a very successful time for him. He won a gold medal as part of the Australian eventing team. He also won a silver medal in the individual eventing competition. This means he was one of the best riders in the world!
He also took part in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. However, he did not win any medals at those games.
Life After the Olympics
After his Olympic success in Rome, Neale Lavis married Velma. They had four children together.
He later became involved with a farm in Braidwood. This farm raised cattle and special racehorses. Two famous horses from his farm were Just A Dash and Strawberry Road. Just A Dash won the important 1981 Melbourne Cup horse race. Strawberry Road was named Racehorse of the Year in 1982/83.
Awards and Recognition
Neale Lavis received many honors for his achievements. He was added to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1999, he received a Medal of the Order of Australia. He also got an Australian Sports Medal in 2000. These awards recognized his great contributions to Australian sport.
