Equestrian sports at the Olympics

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Equestrian sport

The equestrian (or equestrian ) since Stockholm in 1912 an integral part of the Olympic program. Before that, equestrian sport was once represented with show jumping in Paris in 1900 . Even at the ancient Olympic Games , horse races and four-horse chariot races were held as hip competitions in the hippodrome of Olympia .

The equestrian competitions were not held in Melbourne in 1956, due to strict Australian quarantine regulations , but in Stockholm. The Olympic Equestrian Games were held in the Swedish capital from June 10th to 17th. The equestrian competitions were similarly “outsourced” in 2008 , when people moved from Beijing to Hong Kong for quarantine reasons.

Olympic history of equestrian sport until 1912

As early as the Olympic Games in 1896, there were considerations to include equestrian sport in the Olympic program, but this did not materialize. Several competitions of the CHI of Paris in 1900 were declared to be the first equestrian competitions of the modern Olympic Games . In addition to the “hunting jump” that is common today, the program also includes high and long jump competitions.

In 1906, IOC member Clarence von Rosen suggested that equestrian sports be included in the program of the Games. The aim was to involve the military in the Olympic movement in order to put it on a broader basis. His draft for an Olympic equestrian program was presented in 1907. At the Olympic Games in 1908 , however, they were unable to implement this plan (registrations from 88 riders from eight nations had already been received).

At the Olympic Games in 1912 in Rosens' home country, his plans were then implemented for the first time. Although civilians were also allowed in dressage and show jumping, only officers and their horses took part. This situation only changed in 1952, when the FEI (founded in 1921) also admitted non-commissioned officers and some civilians to the competitions.

Disciplines

Show jumping

There are 6 equestrian competitions at the Olympic Games - an individual and a team competition in each discipline. Show jumping, dressage and eventing are the disciplines that are represented with competitions at the Olympic Games. Women were given the opportunity to take part in competitions first in dressage in 1952, and later also in show jumping and eventing. This makes equestrian one of the few sports that are open to men and women.

Show jumping

Until Mexico 1968 the team in show jumping consisted of 3 riders, all of whom had to reach the finish. Therefore, in Los Angeles in 1932 there were no medal winners in the team because none of the teams finished completely. From Munich 1972 to Rio de Janeiro 2016 the team consisted of 4 riders, in 2020 the team will return to three riders under the premise of “more flags” (more participating nations).

In Paris 1900 there was still no competition with a team, but an individual jumping and additional competitions in high jumping and long jumping.

While the World Equestrian Federation ( FEI) decided in 1952 that no women were admitted to the competitions (and the American Federation had to unload the qualified Carol Durand ), they were given the opportunity to start for the first time in 1956.

Overview competitions

Show jumping - current competitions
competition 00 04 06 08 12 20th 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20th Games
Open
singles • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17th
team • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17th
Number of competitions 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Show jumping - Former competitions
competition 00 04 06 08 12 20th 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20th Games
Men
singles • • • • • • • • • 9
team • • • • • • • • 8th
Jump high • 1
Jump far • 1
Number of competitions 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

dressage

dressage

Up to and including the 1948 Summer Games, only officers were allowed to take part in the Olympic equestrian competitions, so that the Swedish team had to return the gold medal they had won in London in 1948 in 1949 because it turned out that the rider Gehnäll Persson was not an officer. Helsinki 1952 this restriction no longer applied. For the first time in Olympic history, women were also allowed to take part in the dressage competitions. Lis Hartel won the individual silver medal with this very first opportunity , today women dominate this equestrian discipline.

In 1960, there was no team rating once. Since of all three disciplines in dressage riding there is the lowest probability that a rider or horse will fail in the team competition, teams with three riders lasted the longest: For the first time in 1988, four riders per team could start in the Grand Prix de Dressage , one at a time worst result of the four counted as a strike result. This mode existed until Athens 2004. Once again in 2016 there was the mode with four riders per nation, in 2020 three rider teams are again planned.

Overview competitions

Dressage - Current competitions
competition 12 20th 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20th Games
Open
singles • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18th
team • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17th
Number of competitions 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Dressage - Former Competitions
competition 12 20th 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20th Games
Men
singles • • • • • • • 7th
team • • • • 4th
Number of competitions 1 1 1 2 2 2 2

Eventing riding

Eventing riding

Eventing (also called military ) is a 3-day all -around event and consists of dressage, cross-country riding and show jumping. In Antwerp 1920 , dressage was replaced by another cross-country ride. On the first day a 20 km long cross-country ride was completed and on the second one over 50 km.

The cross-country ride was always the cause of discussions as to whether eventing should not be removed from the Olympic program. For this reason, rules have been changed over and over again in the past to protect horses.

Versatility as the “toughest” discipline in Olympic equestrian sport was denied to women for the longest time: it was not until 1964 that women were allowed to take part in the competitions. That year there was only one woman in the field, four years later there were four.

The Olympic principle that only one medal should be awarded for a sporting performance is contrary to the specified structure of the versatility from several partial tests. Therefore, from 1996 two completely separate eventing tests were carried out, a horse could only take part in one of these tests. However, this only lasted until the 2000 Games. Since Athens 2004, the team competitions have also counted for the individual evaluation, after the team competition there is also a jumping competition that only counts for the individual evaluation.

Due to the requirement of a competition consisting of several sub-tests, the teams in the military / eventing were mostly larger than in the other two disciplines. As early as 1912, the teams consisted of up to four riders. From 1928 the team size was reduced to three riders per nation. As a result, no bronze medal could be awarded in 1932, as only two teams came completely into the goal. From 1972 onwards, there was a return to four-rider teams, and between 2004 and 2012 the team increased to up to five riders.

Accordingly, the decision to go back to three riders per nation in 2020 met with criticism, especially in terms of versatility. In order to prevent the failure of many teams, it is possible instead to bring the substitute rider to action and to allow riders who have been eliminated in one partial test to start again in later partial tests.

Overview competitions

Versatility - Current competitions
competition 12 20th 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20th Games
Open
singles • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 15th
team • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 15th
Number of competitions 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Eventing - Former Competitions
competition 12 20th 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20th Games
Men
singles • • • • • • • • • • 10
team • • • • • • • • • • 10
Number of competitions 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Former discipline: art riding

Art riding

In Antwerp there were unique competitions in art riding and vaulting - an individual and a team decision.

Artistic Riding - Former Competitions
competition 20th 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20th Games
Men
singles • 1
team • 1
Number of competitions 2

Medal table (nation ranking)

Main article : List of Olympic champions in equestrian sport # Nations ranking

Web links

  • FEI History Hub : Portal of the World Equestrian Federation on the history of Olympic equestrian sport and the World Equestrian Games

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Max E. Ammann: History of equestrian sport: jumping, military, dressage, driving . Special edition, Prisma-Verlag, Gütersloh 1983, ISBN 3-570-09074-4 , p. 41, 117 .
  2. ↑ a b c FEI General Assembly votes in favor of Olympic and Paralympic rule changes , FEI press release, November 22, 2016
  3. ^ The first women in the "Men's Club" (1st part) , Max E. Ammann in the Horse Week , April 26, 2016
  4. ↑ Carol Durand in the United States Show Jumping Hall of Fame (showjumpinghalloffame.net)
  5. ^ Fundamental Changes in Equestrian Sport , history.fei.org
  6. ^ Results of the Olympic equestrian competitions 1960 , history.fei.org
  7. ↑ 1988 The Sport , history.fei.org
  8. ↑ The first women in the “Men's Club” (2nd part) , Max E. Ammann in the Horse Week, April 26, 2016
  9. ↑ 1996 The Sport , history.fei.org
  10. ↑ Reply of the German Equestrian Association to the (planned) rule changes 2020