Mankini-wearing equestrian rider in ICU, Olympic Games dream in tatters

The three-time medallist suffered a broken femur, fractured pelvis and ribs, and a heavy concussion after falling off his horse on Thursday. The horse was not injured.

Rose had surgery on Friday morning to stabilise the femur and pelvis and it is hoped he will make a full recovery.

The 50-year-old has endured a challenging start to the year, having been temporarily stood down following a complaint about his use of a mankini in a fancy dress competition. The athlete received overwhelming support from the equestrian community and he was later cleared of any wrongdoing by the sport's officials.

The latest incident came just a week after Rose secured Olympic qualification with star horse Virgil. In a statement posted to his Facebook page, the athlete's team said they remain hopeful he will recover in time to compete in Paris.

"Shane is in good hands with a great medical team and support network," the statement said. "While the timing is unfortunate we are hopeful there is adequate time for him to recover and still be able to continue his preparation schedule for the Paris Olympics (sic) Games."

Rose has endured plenty of hardship throughout his life, overcoming thyroid cancer in 2001 and spending a week in a coma in 2005 after being kicked in the head by a horse.

In 2015 he broke five ribs, suffered a punctured lung, split liver and contracted a golden staph infection after being kicked by a horse.

Rose was due to compete in Canberra this weekend in his first competition on Australian shores since the infamous mankini controversy, however the focus has now turned to recovering from another serious injury.

Shane Rose walks into the Oceania Eventing Challenge to a rock star reception.

Everyone from competitors to fans and even the New Zealand prime minister want to interact with the Olympian.

It's an unfamiliar feeling for an athlete who usually toils away in anonymity in the niche sport of equestrian.

Even during the Olympics equestrian athletes struggle for attention as bigger sports hog the limelight.

But suddenly, Rose is front page news, cast into the spotlight since his infamous mankini incident triggered a formal investigation.

The athlete was eventually exonerated, clearing the way for him to travel to New Zealand to secure Olympic qualification with his star horse Virgil.

Rose is now set for his first event on Australian soil since the mankini controversy in February and will travel to the ACT for this weekend's Canberra Horse Trials.

The 50-year-old is preparing for a similar reaction to the one he experienced last weekend after receiving overwhelming support from the equestrian community.

"Unbelievably I haven't had one person around the world that had a negative thing to say," Rose said.

"It's great the world has come to its senses. People call it the woke society, but people are standing up and saying it's a bit of fun, let's leave it at that and move on.

"The amount of people in New Zealand who thought it was funny, it was a big show and they were stopping me for autographs and supporting what I've done. That shows the humour the equestrian community still has, apart from that one person [who lodged a complaint]."

A down-to-earth individual who enjoys life on his property at Bimbadeen Park, Rose has taken his new-found fame in his stride.

The mankini has been packed away, but it could make another appearance if Rose wins the gold medal in Paris he's been chasing for three decades.

While he was at the centre of a firestorm, Rose hopes equestrian can use the platform to build a bigger profile and grow from the incident.

"It's a great sport," he said. "Why can't we be as famous going to the Olympics as some of the other athletes?

"The more publicity we get, the more chance we have of promoting the sport and making the sport bigger."

This weekend marks a change of pace for Rose, the Olympian competing on a crop of emerging horses.

At six years old, they are considered babies in the equestrian world and at the beginning of their careers.

The event, however, marks a crucial step on the lengthy path to future Olympics, with Rose optimistic he will be riding one of these horses at the 2032 Brisbane Games.

"The horses this weekend we're looking at LA and Brisbane," he said.

"In eight years they'll be 14-year-old horses, they'll be in the prime of their life come Brisbane. Hopefully one of these will be good enough to stick around to get there."