She participated in swimming, qualifying for the South Australian sub-junior state team, but the school frowned on individual sports, and she had to give it up.

[8] She deferred her teaching course for a year, and in 1975 made her way via the United States, to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where she studied at Grant MacEwan Community College.

[9] After returning to Australia, Rolton rode Saville Row at the 1978 Royal Adelaide Show, taking the prize for Champion Lady Rider.

[10] She began competing internationally in 1984, and participated in trials for the Australian team for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, but Saville Row was injured, and she missed out.

[14] She retired Benton's Way after winning the 1988 Australian Championships, and began competing on Peppermint Grove.

[8] The Australians were on the brink of winning the gold medal when Peppermint Grove skidded during the endurance phase of the event.

She remounted, unaware that she had broken her collarbone and ribs, but found herself unable to use her left arm.

Nonetheless, she held on, riding Pepperment Grove over another 15 jumps for an excruciating 3 kilometres (1.9 mi).

She opened her own riding school,[20] and between 2001 and 2007 she initiated, co-ordinated and coached the Mitsubishi National Young Rider Squad, that helped talented young eventing riders to make the transition to senior level.

[11] She was a national selector until 2007, when she stood down in order to become an International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) judge.

[8] She was inducted into South Australian Sport Hall of Fame in 2010, and in 2016 was elevated to legend status alongside Sir Donald Bradman, Bart Cummings, Barrie Robran, and Victor Richardson.

[11][18] In January 2018, she was posthumously made a Member of the Order of Australia "For significant service to horse sports through roles with a range of national and international equestrian organisations".