There are currently three disciplines in equestrian at the Olympics: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing. Show jumping was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1900. There were no equestrian events in 1904, and in 1908 Polo was the only equestrian sport. Dressage and Three-day eventing were introduced in 1912. The other horse event at the Olympics is the jumping component of the Modern Pentathlon.

Jumping is one of the three disciplines in equestrian at the Olympics

Jumping is one of the three disciplines in equestrian at the Olympics

There are several equestrian events that were once part of the program but have been discontinued: High jump and Long jump (1900) and Vaulting (1920). A couple of other equestrian events were Olympic demonstration events, Four-in-Hand "Mail Coach" and Hacks and Hunter Combined.

Olympic Equestrian Events

Jumping

Show jumping tests horse and rider over a course of obstacles. Penalties are awarded for knocking down rails or refusing jumps.

Dressage

Often called "horse ballet," dressage showcases the harmony and precision between horse and rider through predetermined movements.

Eventing

Three-day eventing is the triathlon of equestrian, combining dressage, cross-country, and show jumping over three days.

Historical Milestones and Trivia

  • Equestrian first appeared at the Olympics in 1900.
  • There are a few events that are no longer held. In 1900 there was Horse High jump and Horse Long jump, and in 1920 there was Vaulting for teams and individuals.
  • The Olympic dressage competition started in 1912, and up until 1952, only commissioned officers were allowed to compete in these events. From 1952 the rules were changed to allow civilians and women to compete.
  • Danish equestrian athlete Lis Hartel became the first woman in the equestrian sports to win an Olympic medal when she won silver medals at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics in dressage.
  • In 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Fritz Thiedemann won bronze medals in both individual show jumping and team dressage, becoming the only rider in Olympic history to win medals in two equestrian disciplines at the same Games.
  • As quarantine laws did not allow the entry of foreign horses into Australia (or there is at least a 6 months quarantine requirement), equestrian events at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics were held in Stockholm in June. The rest of the Games started in late November, when it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • For the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the equestrian events were held in Hong Kong. This marked the second time the same edition of the Olympic Games being hosted by two National Olympic Committees. (the other time was when the equestrian events were held in Stockholm for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics).
  • English Royalty Captain Mark Phillips was a member of the British three-day event team, which won the gold medal at the Munich Olympics and in 1988 won silver in the same event. His sister Princess Anne competed as a member of the UK equestrian team in 1976. Their daughter Zara competed in the 2012 London Olympics.
  • The Equestrian events (and the equestrian part of Modern Pentathlon) are the only Olympic events that involve animals.
  • At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, equestrian was one of the few events not to be contested within the city limits. All equestrian events were held in Hong Kong.

The oldest woman to compete in the Olympics was British rider Lorna Johnstone, who participated in Equestrian at the 1972 Olympic Games at 70 years old and 5 days. For the men, Arthur von Pongracz of Austria competed at age 72 in Dressage in 1936, becoming one of the oldest ever competitors at the Olympics. Shooter Oscar Swahn of Sweden was also 72 when he competed in 1920.

💡 Pro Tip: The partnership between horse and rider is crucial in Olympic equestrian. Many successful Olympic partnerships span multiple Olympic Games, with some horses competing in multiple Olympics with the same rider, demonstrating the importance of long-term training and trust.

Notable Participants

  • The oldest woman to compete in the Olympics was British rider Lorna Johnstone, who participated in Equestrian at the 1972 Olympic Games at 70 years old and 5 days. For the men, Arthur von Pongracz of Austria competed at age 72 in Dressage in 1936, becoming one of the oldest ever competitors at the Olympics (the oldest, shooter Oscar Swahn of Sweden, was also 72 when he competed in 1920).
  • In Beijing 2008, equestrian rider Hiroshi Hoketsu became the oldest Japanese Olympic representative at age 67. Hoketsu also took part in the 1964 Tokyo Games where he finished 40th in the show jumping event.
  • Canadian show jumper Ian Millar made a record-breaking 10th Olympic appearance in London 2012. He competed in the equestrian competition at every Olympics from 1972 to 2012 except for the 1980 Moscow Games that Canada boycotted.
  • The highest ranked equestrian at the Olympic Games is German rider Isabell Werth, who won eight gold and six silver medals between 1992 and 2024. The best male all-time performing equestrian athlete at the Olympic Games is another German, Reiner Klimke, who competed between 1964–1988 winning six gold medals and two bronze. See more on the Greatest Equestrian Athletes at the Olympics.