Name Jim Elder Role Olympic athlete | Height 1.72 m Education Upper Canada College | |
Robert James Elder, OC (born 27 July 1934) is a former member of the Canadian Equestrian Team for show jumping. He competed at six Olympic Games between 1956 and 1984, winning one gold and one bronze medal.
Biography
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Elder started competitive jumping at the age of 16 in 1950. In 36 years of competition, he won an Olympic Gold Medal, one Olympic Bronze, two Pan Am Gold Medals, and one World Championship Gold. Elder was Canada's flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 1972 Munich Olympics. In 1983, he was honoured with the Order of Canada and in 2003 he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Since retiring, he has worked with Big Brothers and several other charity foundations including the Community Association of Riding for the Disabled in Ontario and the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association and is one of the co-founders of the Toronto Polo Club.
Jim Elder's brother, Norman Elder was an author and explorer. He was also an Olympic equestrian rider at the 1960 and 1968 Olympics. The brothers were on the same Eventing team at the 1960 Olympics.
Jim Elder is a brother of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Alpha Phi).