Phillip Dutton is living proof of the theory that you make your own luck. Almost 15 years ago, as an eager 20-something rider, he was leading Australia’s final selection trials for the 1992 Olympics after cross-country. But when his horse, Sorocco Duke, died of an aneurysm that evening in his stall, Dutton’s dreams might have died along with him. Instead, he put those dreams in to overdrive, moving to the other side of the world to take his riding to the next level.

“My girlfriend at the time and I decided to come to the U.S. for a year, then maybe move to England,” he said. “Fifteen years later, I’m still here, although without the girlfriend.”

By 1998, Dutton had begun to dominate the sport in this country, earning the U.S. Eventing Association’s Rider of the Year title the first of seven times to date, while representing Australia internationally, bringing home two Olympic team gold medals, competing in two World Championships, and being inducted into Australia’s Sporting Hall of Fame. This year, he again snatched the USEA Rider of the Year as well as the Horse of the Year titles.

Dutton’s dynasty at True Prospect Farm in West Grove, Pa., has grown to include more top-level horses and owners than any other U.S. rider. Dutton attributes that to lessons he learned early upon his arrival here, while working for race horse trainer Michael Dickinson.

“He taught me you have to be honest and straightforward,” said Dutton. “The owners are all in it for different reasons, but the one thing they have in common is that they all like to win, and I try to do that as much as it’s in the horses’ interest. But a lot of the fun is in the dreaming and goals and the journey to those goals, and I try to keep the owners involved. It creates some excitement.”

Dutton is also known for his ability to ride nearly any type of horse–including many horses who hadn’t worked in partnerships with other top riders. “I’m not into the horse whisperer stuff, but I do try to understand the horse and how to get along with it,” he said.

He thinks his childhood on a farm in the outback of New South Wales helped develop this ability. “Where I grew up, we had local gymkhanas, with jumping, pole bending, and barrel racing. I had a horse who wouldn’t go in the trailer, so I rode him 14 miles to the show, competed, and rode home. I didn’t get many lessons, but I spent a lot of time in the saddle.”

As a result, not much concerns Dutton while he’s on the back of a horse. “It doesn’t worry me if a horse is a little out of the ordinary or has a difficult character or behavior,” he said. “I don’t mind putting in the time if a horse has talent.”

Without a lot of steady instruction–he receives help from fellow Australians Wayne Roycroft and David Green when they’re in the country and has worked on his dressage with Mara Dean and Betsy Steiner–those horses are largely Dutton’s teachers. “I learn from trial and error and feel, and I read as much as I can,” he said. “I used to just watch Bruce Davidson warming up his horses, and I’ve watched David O’Connor a lot. I’d like to get more help, from more specific coaches like dressage and show jumpers, because I’m at a level now where I need to go to another level.”

This constant self-criticism keeps Dutton upping his game all the time. “I’m very critical of myself,” he said. “There are lots of parts I look at and am not pleased with.”

Still, Dutton has achieved more than he’ll admit he’d anticipated when he first showed up in the United States. “We all dream of getting to the Olympics, but I had no idea I’d get this far,” he said. “Not to say I’m satisfied yet, either. I’m always setting my sights high, but this is not what I’d pictured for myself.”

In between traveling around the country–and the world–for competitions, Dutton also places a priority on his home life. “I want to be a good father and husband, and it’s hard to balance,” said Dutton, who tries to take the children to school once or twice a week. “Evie has embraced my career, which I am very fortunate to have, and she’s part of the business too. But it’s a constant battle of priorities and trying to make sure you put time into the people you love.”

Even as the Olympic medals and Rider of the Year titles have piled up and his family has grown, Dutton hasn’t given any thought to slowing down. “It’s taken me a long time to get here, so I’m not giving up any time soon,” he said.

At this point, even his parents, who’d always thought Dutton would someday give up the horses for a “real job,” have come to embrace his achievements. And the lessons he learned from his parents have helped him rise to the top.

“As you go along, stuff happens to you that gives you confidence because you get through it, like losing my horse, or coming here and leaving my comfort circle of friends and family,” he said.

“You develop confidence in yourself, and I’ve always been game to try things. You’re not afraid to give it a shot because you don’t have much to lose,” he added. “My father used to say diamonds are created from pressure, and I’ve never shied away from a challenge. I try to be blas�, but underneath, I feel I can do it if I give it a shot.”

Personal Profile
Age: 42.
Home: Avondale, Pa.
Family: Wife Evie, her daughter LeeLee, their twin daughters Mary and Olivia.
Farm: Nina Gardner’s True Prospect Farm in West Grove, Pa.
Current Upper-Level Horses: The Foreman, Hannigan, Connaught, Amazing Odyssey, Handyman Hughie, TruLuck, House Doctor.
Owners: Nina and Tim Gardner, Annie Jones, Bruce Duchossois and H ‘n D Stables, August and Joyce Vettorino, Shannon Stimson, Audrey Evans, Colleen and Mark Hofstetter, and Constance White.
Other Interests: A fan of all sports, especially horse racing, and Philadelphia Eagles football, plays some golf and tennis, follows world affairs.
New Year’s Resolution: To compete fewer horses better. “I’d like to have fewer horses but better quality, if I can, in the future.”

Career highlights
U.S. Eventing Association Rider of the Year–1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Olympic team gold medals–1996 and 2000
1st–place Fair Hill CCI*** (Md.) 1996, 2000, 2004
2nd–place Rolex Kentucky CCI**** 2001, 2004, 2005
2nd–place Burghley CCI**** (England) 2005
1st –place Jersey Fresh CCI*** (N.J.) 2005
5th place individually–2002 World Equestrian Games
Personal Favorite: The Olympics. “It’s the one time when our sport is looked upon by the
rest of the world. It’s sort of the Super Bowl, on the world stage, and it’s a whole different feeling.”