Equestrian events at the Summer Olympics
s were first included in the Olympic Games in the Summer Olympics of 1900 in Paris. They were again included in 1912, and have been included in every subsequent edition of the Games. Currently, the Olympic equestrian disciplines are dressage, eventing, and show jumping. In each discipline, both individual and team medals are awarded. Since the XV Olympiad in Helsinki in 1952, women and men compete on equal terms.
Together with the equestrian component of Modern Pentathlon, it is the only Olympic event that involves animals. The horses are considered to be athletes as much as the riders.
The international governing body for equestrian sports is the Fédération Équestre Internationale. The first Olympics held under its authority were in 1924. Since that time, Germany has established itself as the leading power in equestrian competitions.
Summary of the Games
History
Paris Games
Equestrian events were first held at the 1900 Paris Olympic Games. Five different equestrian events were held: individual jumping, high jump, long jump, hacks and hunter combined, and mail coach.The polo competition consisted of 4 mixed teams made up of players from Britain, France, Mexico, Spain, and the United States.
Grand Prix Jumping, which was similar to today's show jumping event, had 45 competitors entered, though only 37 competed. The first and second place was taken by riders from Belgium, while a French rider, Louis de Champsavin, on his mount Terpsichore, got the third place.
The High Jump competition resulted in a tie between French rider Dominique Gardere on Canela and Italian Gian Giorgio Trissino on Oreste, with both of their horses clearing 1.85 meters, and the bronze was given to Constant van Langendonck of Belgium, whose mount, Extra Dry, cleared 1.70 meters. However, Constant van Langendonck and Extra Dry were able to clinch the gold in the Long Jump competition, clearing a distance of 6.10 meters. Trissino and Oreste won the silver, clearing 5.70 meters, and M. de Bellegarde of France won the bronze with the 5.30 meter jump by his mount Tolla.
Return of equestrian competition
Equestrian competition was dropped from the 1904 Olympic Games, and owed its return to Count Clarence von Rosen, Master of the Horse to the King of Sweden, for bringing it back. The 1906 IOC Congress agreed to his proposal to add dressage, eventing, and show jumping to the program of the upcoming 1908 Olympic Games in London. However, due to problems with the newly formed International Horse Show Committee, they were not introduced until the 1912 Games in Stockholm and only a polo event was held in 1908. These three disciplines would be held at every Summer Olympic Games through to the present day.Participation of non-officers and women
Until the 1952 Summer Olympics, only commissioned military officers and "gentlemen" were permitted to compete in the Olympic equestrian disciplines, which had the effect of excluding all women and all men serving in the military but not holding officers' commissions. An exception was the hacks and hunter combined event at the 1900 Olympics, in which three women competed.In 1952, however, all men were permitted to compete in all equestrian disciplines, and women were permitted to compete in Dressage. Women were later permitted to compete in Jumping in 1956 and in Eventing in 1964. Since then, equestrianism has been one of the very few Olympic sports in which men and women compete with and directly against one another. In team competition, teams may have any blend of male and female competitors, and are not required to have minimum numbers of either sex; countries are free to choose the best riders, irrespective of sex.
Polo, driving and vaulting in the Olympics
events were included in the inaugural 1900 Olympic Games.Polo was also included in 1900 Games, but unlike driving it would be held an additional 4 times: at the 1908 London Games, the 1920 Antwerp Games, the 1924 Paris Games, and the 1936 Berlin Games. The 1908 Olympics had just 3 polo teams, all representing Great Britain. The 1920 Games included a team from Belgium, Great Britain, Spain, and the United States, with Great Britain again winning the gold medal. It was not until 1924, after Argentina sent a team to Paris, that the gold changed hands. Argentina also won gold at the 1936 Olympic Games.
Vaulting was only held once, at the 1920 Antwerp Games. Vaulting included both a team and an individual competition, with the entrants having to perform movements at the canter and at the halt, both with a saddle and bareback. Three nations sent teams: the gold medal-winning Belgium, France, and Sweden. The individual competition was again made up of competitors from only Belgium, France, and Sweden, with Belgium's M. Bouckaert winning gold medal, and the silver and bronze medals going respectively to France's M. Fields and M. Finet.
Dressage in the Olympic Games
Dressage has changed dramatically since the 1912 Olympics. The dressage horse no longer has to jump, but the test on the flat has become increasingly difficult, emphasizing the piaffe and the passage. Today's horses are specifically bred for dressage and have movement far more extravagant when compared to the horses of the early 20th century.Only individual medals were awarded at the 1912, 1920, and 1924 Games, with team medals awarded at all Olympics following that point.
1912 Stockholm Olympics
The 1912 Stockholm Olympics held the first Olympic dressage competition, featuring 21 riders from eight countries. Dressage horses were required to perform three tests: a test on the flat, a jumping test, and an obedience test.The test on the flat could only be a maximum of ten minutes in length and was ridden in what is now called the "small arena," a 20 meter by 40 meter space. The difficulty was much less than it is today, similar to the USDF Fourth Level. The test, as it is today, scored each movement on a 0–10 scale. Required gaits included the "free" and "easy" walk, the "slow" and "extended" trot, and the "slow" and "extended" canter, all of which were to be performed on both reins. The horse also had to demonstrate "ordinary turns," small circles at the slow trot, 8-meter circles at the canter, figure-eights at the canter, four or more flying changes on a straight line, turn on the haunches, and reinback. At this time, piaffe, passage, and all other haute ecole movements were not allowed. Extra points could be earned if the rider rode with both reins in one hand, especially if this were performed at the canter.
Additionally, all dressage horses were required to jump four obstacles which were a maximum of 1.1 meters high, and another fence with a 3-meter spread. They were then asked to perform an "obedience test," riding the horse near spooky objects.
Riders were required to wear informal uniform if they were military officers, or black or pink coats with silk hats if they were civilians. Horses had to be ridden in a double bridle, and martingales and bearing reins were prohibited.
1920 Antwerp
17 riders from 5 countries participated in the dressage competition at the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games. The test was now ridden required to be ridden from memory, and was held in a slightly larger arena."Slow" was changed to "Collected" on the test sheet. Collected walk, trot, and canter were required, as was extended trot posting followed by collected trot sitting. A 5-loop serpentine was introduced, to be ridden at the canter, both with flying lead changes and with counter-canter loops. The counter change of hand with flying changes was also introduced, as was 4-, 3-, 2-, and 1-tempi changes. The halt was performed through the walk, and followed by a salute.
1924 Paris
The Paris Games had 24 riders competing from nine countries. The test was similar to that used for the 1920 Games.1928 Amsterdam
The 1928 Olympics saw an increase in the time allowed for the test, from 10 up to 13 minutes. Riders lost 2 points per second over the time.1932 Los Angeles Olympics
The most significant change at the 1932 Los Angeles Games was the introduction of the piaffe and passage.1936 Berlin Olympics
29 riders from 11 countries participated. The test length increased again to 17 minutes.The test included an 8-second halt, half-turns on the haunches at the walk, riding with reins in one hand at the trot, "ordinary" and extended trot while posting, a 5-loop canter serpentine with each loop 8-meters in diameter, the canter pirouette, four-, three-, two-, and one-tempi changes, and the piaffe and passage. The highest coefficient for the test was bending on two-tracks at the collected trot and collected canter.
1948 London Olympics
19 riders from 9 countries competed. Due to World War II, there was not sufficient time to prepare the dressage horses for the 1948 Games. Therefore, piaffe and passage were not placed on the tests. However, half-pass, renvers, canter pirouettes, and tempi changes were included, with the highest coefficient on the one-tempis.Later Olympic Games
Today, the format for the dressage competition begins with a Grand Prix test to determine the winners of the team competition. The top 25 competitors in the Grand Prix then perform a second test, the Grand Prix Special, which is shortened and emphasizes the piaffe and passage. The top 13 of this group then goes onto the Grand Prix Freestyle, which is written by each individual rider according to strict guidelines, and set to music. These scores help determine the individual medalists.The test has remained relatively unchanged, except for the fact that renvers is no longer included in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special Classes.