Chester County equestrians Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton – a pair of transplants from New South Wales, Australia – are heading back to the Olympics.

For the 36-year-old Martin, who lives on 75 acres at Windurra in Cochranville, this will be his second trip to the Olympics. For the 52-year-old Dutton, the owner of True Prospect Farm in West Grove, it will be his sixth.

It’s surely not a coincidence that these horse-loving Aussies have made Chester County – with its scenic, rolling hills brimming with everything equestrian – their adopted home.

The child of two Olympians, Martin has competitiveness coursing through his veins. His mother Toy Martin and late father Ross Martin met at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. The former was a speedskater for the United States, while the latter was a cross-country skier for Australia.

“My mum and sister (Brooke) were into the horses before I was,” said Boyd. “I grew up on the outskirts of Sydney, where everyone had ponies in the backyard. Sport was a huge part of family life, but there weren’t many ice rinks or ski slopes around.”

Boyd began riding for the Stars and Stripes in 2009, and his life has been anything but normal because of his commitment to his sport.

“I couldn’t tell you how many of my best friends’ weddings, school reunions, or family holidays I’ve missed,” he said. “There’s a point where I think you lose your mind a little bit, you get so enthralled with the sport that your sanity sort of goes out the window.”

Dutton moved from the Land Down Under in 1991 and officially became a U.S. citizen in 2006.

He won gold as a member of the three-day eventing team for Australian at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and the 2000 Games in Sydney. At the 2008 Games in Beijing, he began riding for the U.S.

Dutton grew up with horses on his family’s sheep and wheat farm. Most of his childhood and teenage years were spent competing at Pony Club rallies and horse trials.

Both Martin and Dutton would love nothing more than to capture a medal for their adopted country, but due to the nature of their sport, it’s not just them competing as individuals. And that fact has helped them cope with ups and downs of equestrian.

“One thing you’ve got to become good at is dealing with adversity with horses,” said Martin. “Over the years, you get a little bit numb to it all. It’s heartbreaking when a horse gets injured or you bomb out at a competition.

“You really have to have a strong character to keep pushing on where a normal person would say ‘this is too disheartening.’ Some people might call it stubbornness, but you have to push on when things aren’t right. Basically, all the top event riders are masters at that.”